


Adagio

by Masdevallia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Crush, Awkward Dates, Awkward Romance, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Assault, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Content, Slow Bern, Slow Burn, Soft Hubert von Vestra, everyone is a little older, no beta we die like Glenn, romantic comedy with serious undertones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:35:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 127,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masdevallia/pseuds/Masdevallia
Summary: Hubert develops an instant crush on the recluse who tailors his clothes. That same girl has a crippling fear of him. Awkwardness ensues. (Modern AU)_The girl was very pretty, actually. She was young, likely a few years younger than him, putting her in her mid to late twenties, with short purple hair and supple skin. It was pale, yet very much pink, unlike Hubert’s sallow skin. It was unblemished and... delectable.*That is far from an appropriate thought to have for someone who fainted at the mere sight of you.*
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 565
Kudos: 642





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> After writing and completing a piece with heavy themes, I wanted to dial it back a few notches with something...more lighthearted. That doesn't mean that there aren't serious things going on, especially since one of the leads is Bernadetta, who still has a terrifying backstory; and then there's Hubert who...didn't have the best childhood. I still intend for this piece to be a lot less heavy than Sarracenia was. 
> 
> Updates will be a tad slower, but because I've just entered winter break, that gives me ample time to complete writing the first draft of this piece.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta have a not-so-meet cute.

One could say Hubert von Vestra was attracted to the strange and unusual. It was only a few months ago when Edelgard was stricken by a terrible and sudden virus going around and he was the one person who could fill in for her during a big evening event in which Edelgard had scheduled months in advance. But he had a problem: he didn’t own anything worth wearing for a serious public event. Especially one he would be leading. Hubert was used to serving Edelgard’s every need, but he was not used to taking the reins of a major event. He was Edelgard’s shadow for as long as he could remember, not the person who shone in the spotlight.

 _Hubert, you’re the only person who knows everything we’re talking about._ Edelgard had written on the small whiteboard she kept by her bedside. _There’s no one else we can rely on._

But she was the politician. He was only behind the scenes, taking charge so that every event could run to perfection. He rarely attended these events and when he did, he shadowed Edelgard. Recently, she had wanted to do things independently from Hubert, but this was another matter entirely.

“Please consider postponing, Edelgard.”

_We can’t do that, Hubert. We’ve been planning this event for months._

Hubert knew that he lacked stage presence. If he was dressed adequately enough, he could, at the very least, show he was making an honest attempt to fill in for Edelgard as his chief of staff.

And then a bigger problem presented itself: every reputable tailor shop within the city was booked. It would be difficult to have something decent to wear for such a major event, especially with his height and frame. All he required was a simple alteration, but that proved to be an impossible task.

“I know of this one shop, actually,” a clerk had told him when he had entered the final store on his list. Hubert was about to go check out various WikiHows and see if he could do the job himself. That was only a last resort and he knew he lacked the skills needed to alter his best suit. He could go to another city, but he knew that they would have done a less-than-stellar job on the alteration and overcharge for their work. It had to meet his needs. It had to be perfect.

“I’m afraid I’ve tried every store in Enbarr. It seems this week has been a rather busy one. A shame.”

“There’s this new shop, actually. It’s said to be run by a recluse, no one’s ever actually seen her. It’s open during unusual hours but you might just get lucky with them.” Hubert’s curiosity was piqued. 

“A recluse running a tailor shop, you say? How did this come about?”

“We all have our ways of knowing all of the other stores. Not to mention this girl is also known for her online commissions, yet not much is known about her. They say she’s really good.” The clerk wrote the address down.

“And why are you telling _me_ this? Wouldn’t you want to keep your business with me?”

The clerk paled. “Um...uh…Because you look like you’re two seconds away from murdering someone?”

Hubert sighed. Of course it was his face. It always was. The fact that he was frustrated did not do anything to help lessen the severity of his face and the facial expressions that came with it. “Fair enough.” He took the slip of paper and went to the address listed.

He considered himself a person who had a strong inclination for trying new formulas and ways of going about things (in a sense, anyway), so perhaps this so-called recluse would have been of help. 

The address turned out to be a rather dilapidated two story building ridden with discolored paint that peeled off years ago. It was located in the not-quite-bad-side-of-town but still questionable enough for the higher echelons of society to avoid. Edelgard had a particular interest in this neighborhood, especially in regards to its constituents. 

“It’s a diamond in the rough!” she said. “Crime isn’t too bad here and renevators have been actively seeking out property. If we don’t invest in this area, then we might miss out!”

“Yes, but what about the denizens themselves?” Hubert had asked. “Many won’t take well to gentrifying.”

“Well, we can do all we can to mitigate the petty crime that goes on there, but we have to be mindful of the rent. What we need is balance, Hubert. If we can achieve that, then we can proceed with our other goals to make Adrestia a better place.”

When Hubert entered the unlocked door, he heard bells ringing from the door itself. If it weren’t for that, then he wouldn’t have known this was a store.

“Hey!” There was a girl with short orange hair with a side ponytail sitting on the sofa watching television. She was holding a bottle of beer. _If this is a tailor shop, then this is blatant unprofessionalism._

Hubert straightened his posture and attempted to look amicable. He was certain he was doing a poor job of that. “Greetings.” He observed his surroundings. The place was absolutely filthy and downtrodden. Was he in the right place? “Is this a, er…tailor?”

“Oh yeah! Totally. Welcome to Bernie Bear’s Custom Tailoring and Embroidery. I was just about to close up shop, too! What can I do for ya?”

Hubert was about to excuse himself and leave, but the thought of wasting his time on the internet with absolutely no expertise on the subject of making alterations made him cringe so he had to stay here and bear this filthy environment. “I have come to ask for an alteration of a suit I am to wear at an event in four day’s time. I’m afraid I don’t have much time so whatever the asking price is, I will double it.”

The girl crossed her arms, not letting go of the beer bottle. “Hmm. Why can’t you just go to a store and buy a suit there?”

“This is not an ordinary event. I am not to wear a suit simply for leisure.”

The girl snorted. “Leisure? People wear suits for leisure? Then again, you rich types always have a strange idea of what fun is.” Her eyes fell on the suit. “Alright. Let me talk to Bernie and let me see what she says about accepting your offer.” 

She took his suit and he was left alone to his own devices. Hubert was tempted to seek out a broom and clean up the dust that had gathered around the floor. It was making his nose pinch and his eyes water. His desperation was pathetic. 

Minutes later, the orange haired girl had come back down from the stairs. “My boss accepts your terms. She says she can finish this in two days tops. It’s no problem for her.”

“Two days?” Most tailors said a week but if you paid them generously enough they could rush the alteration to four. That was what he was banking on. “Impossible.”

“Not if Bernie clears her schedule. Oh, and pay half upfront and the other half when she’s done. That’s the other thing. The rent’s starting to skyrocket here.” Hubert did as he was told. He had no other option other than to pray for Edelgard’s swift recovery. But whenever Edelgard got sick, she stayed that way for far longer than ordinary people did. It was a known fact.

“Oh! I almost forgot! I have to take your measurements and after I do, please write down any specifications for my boss to know of, along with your name, number, and the best way to contact you. She says it’s better if you do it in writing.”

It was something they both agreed on, so maybe this business wasn’t completely brainless. Hubert made his written requests, got his measurements taken, and left the store. He then immediately went to the pharmacy and bought Edelgard all varieties of throat lozenges and humidifiers. He wanted to avoid filling in for her at all costs.

Two days later, Hubert got the call from the ginger haired girl--whose name was Leonie (he could not recall if she had even introduced herself)--that his suit had been completed...at two in the morning. 

Needless to say, he rushed to the dilapidated building and picked up his suit.

Much to his surprise, he had found himself satisfied with the result. The tailor, Bernie, managed to complete everything he had written down. The alteration was completed in such a way that seemed effortless and not the rush job it actually was. 

Hubert felt he was now potentially exposed to one of Adrestia’s hidden gems.

Perhaps he would come to this shop more often and see what else this girl could do.

* * *

“Your regular is back again. He wants a cape this time,” Leonie Pinelli told Bernadetta von Varley, who went by Bernie these days. She handed her the instructions on a sheet of paper. Bernadetta glossed through the note.

She didn’t know how much her life would change in the months since her first regular, a man named Hubert von Vestra, came into her shop. He was certainly wealthy and paid top gold on his commissions. She knew nothing about him, even with a quick internet search, her top commissioner and benefactor remained a mystery. 

She wondered what he looked like. She wondered if he was a handsome man, one of those tall, dashing types she read about in her romance novels.

“Um...Tell him it’ll take me a week to make. Measure his shoulders and neck, please.” She was admittedly tempted to take a peek at him if she slightly opened her door, but she was terrified he would notice her spying on him. That would be really creepy and he’d probably never come again because of course she’d find a way to mess it all up.

“Got it.”

Based on his measurements, he was a very tall man, about six foot two, and had a very lean build. Leonie said he was young, but ambiguously so. He was anywhere between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five and dressed like one of those business types during their every meeting. Even the three AM ones. What was particularly interesting about him was his penchant for the color black. He occasionally required some gold or silver embellishments, but he much preferred black over anything else. 

This man, Hubert, paid generously enough that Bernadetta was no longer worried about making rent these past few months. This was her only job, other than her internet commissions, which she now mostly did on occasion whenever Hubert wasn’t commissioning her. The same couldn’t be said for Leonie, who worked at least half a dozen jobs, including her job as Bernadetta’s secretary of sorts (whenever she was there, anyway). 

“He always has really good timing,” Leonie said when she returned upstairs. “I’m about to go to the Deer now. Are you gonna be okay?”

Bernadetta nodded. As long as she stayed inside, it was fine. 

“You’ll protect me, right Captain Snufflekins?” Her bear, Captain Snufflekins, watched as Bernadetta began to outline the cape Hubert wanted, with an approximation of the measurements and length he wanted.

She recalled how she met Leonie. It was purely by chance, actually. One of her jobs was she instructed self-defense classes on Thursdays and Bernadetta cautiously joined, mostly because it was dirt cheap and she wanted to learn how she could put up a fight in case her father or someone associated with him tracked her down.

Leonie knew her stuff and offered solid tips on topics such as how to disarm someone twice your size or how to escape a potentially threatening situation. She took a particular interest in Bernadetta due to how much she struggled with her movements and offered her extra time to get the defensive maneuvers just right. Leonie wasn’t a scary person, and Bernadetta found herself offering to help sew some of the ruptured seams that hung loose in places she couldn’t easily see. Leonie also had an interest in drawing and although she had a natural talent for it, she didn’t have the time to sit down and hone her skills. 

The friendship they made was easy. It was Bernadetta’s first actual friendship with someone. Her father would have never approved of Leonie. She was brash, impulsive, and drank a lot, but Bernadetta appreciated her nevertheless.

Leonie needed a roommate and Bernadetta wanted to live somewhere that was in plain sight with someone who was strong enough to take on her father. Not that Leonie--or anyone--knew about her situation. 

Bernadetta finished her outline of the cape. It would be long, just as Hubert specified, even longer than her own height. It was an odd request, but she could most certainly do it. 

Now that she was alone and free to own devices, anything was possible. 

* * *

Leonie called Hubert six days later, much to his surprise. He assumed Bernie would have finished a day or two later, but she continued to surpass his expectations. It had been nearly four months since he stumbled into the so-called shop, but he continued to be pleasantly surprised by this recluse’s tailoring. 

And the others at his job often complimented him on his outfits. He wondered if now was the time to contract this Bernie into becoming Edelgard’s personal tailor. But it was too early for that, not to mention, he was enjoying the various garments this woman had exclusively tailored to perfection for him. 

It was midnight and even though it was an asinine idea to walk around that neighborhood at that hour, Hubert knew that muggers wouldn’t dare target him. It was a silver lining to having that face of his. 

Hubert was used to being greeted by Leonie and her ever present bottle of beer, but instead he was met by the darkness. The house looked eerie and still, almost abandoned, thanks to the hurricane of a mess this house was known to have. Hubert was near tempted to clean it up now that no one seemingly occupied it. 

He wondered if he should have left and returned the next day, but he had to admit he had a burning curiosity to meet the girl known as Bernie, or at the very least, make his presence known. It was more likely than not that she was here. Perhaps she could be the one who handed him his cape and he would be on his merry way. He walked upstairs, the stairs creaking with each step.

He knocked on the door. 

No answer. 

Hubert cleared his throat. “Good evening,” he said to the door. “I received a call from your associate, Leonie. She informed me that the cape I commissioned has been completed.”

He heard a squeak coming from the other side. It sounded humanlike. 

He knocked on the door again, a little harder this time, and to his surprise, the door opened. Hubert walked into a room that was just as messy and chaotic as the floor below it, but in a different matter. It was full of sewing supplies, books, and stuffed animals, including a giant bear that sat on a chair of its own. 

She was cowering behind the chair, shivering in fear. Hubert could barely make out her features, except for the large gray eyes watching him, unblinking, paralyzed with fear.

“No! Into the light! Back to the beyond from whence you came!”

He was baffled by her words. “Are you telling me to die?”

His eyes fell to the floor, where sewing supplies were scattered all over. She must have dropped them in haste. _That is quite the hazard_ , Hubert thought. He walked over to where the needles were scattered about and began to carefully pick them up one by one. He was glad he wore gloves, otherwise he would have pricked his fingers. 

“I know why you’re here! Uh...I know self defense!” she said while he was gathering the needles. Hubert was confused for a moment. Of course he was here for a reason. He wanted to pick up his cape, which he now saw was hanging on a white hanger on the other side of the room. Yet her tone said otherwise. Hubert was admittedly a touch amused by this turn of events.

“Do you now?”

He rose from the ground, carefully placing the needles inside the girl’s kit. Better.

“You’re here because of him! I know it! You're going to execute me, aren't you? Or take me away from here! Please, let me compose my last will and testament! Or at least a swan song? The creak of a door... Sorrow like a needlepoint... Bernie's gone away.” 

_Him? Is she referring to me?_

“A word of caution. I would simply be careful with the way you…” The girl stopped moving, staying completely still, her gray eyes wide open.

She was so still, Hubert wondered if the girl died on the spot. _I’ve never caused someone’s demise with my face alone._ Still, he needed to check her vital signs to ensure she was still alive. 

There was a pulse coming from her wrist. “How did you manage to faint while standing up? Well, I cannot simply leave her here.” In an effort to be polite, Hubert bowed in the girl’s direction and picked her up, carrying her to her bed, which was also full of fabric and supplies. After he lay her down, he set the supplies aside so that she could have more legroom. 

The girl was very pretty, actually. She was young, likely a few years younger than him, putting her in her mid to late twenties, with short purple hair and supple skin. It was pale, yet very much pink, unlike Hubert’s sallow skin. It was unblemished and... _delectable_. 

_That is far from an appropriate thought to have for someone who fainted at the mere sight of you._

Still, he couldn’t deny he found her attractive. He hadn’t found anyone this way in quite some time. _How unfortunate she had to react in this manner._

He looked at his surroundings.

She would come back from her fainting spell at any moment and Hubert would have to clear the air with her. 

But for now, the very least he could do was clean her living space a little bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta and Hubert apologize to each other after their disastrous first encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting on the last chapter! I realize this is a really odd concept, especially considering Hubert of all people is the main character of a romcom style fic. Also, as I write this I realize this is probably most definitely gonna be longer than Sarracenia. -_- I sob. 
> 
> Mild content warning to a blink-and-you-miss-it moment to people spiking other's drinks.

Everything was starting to look much better now in the twenty minutes since Hubert began to pick up around the room. It sort of reminded him of whenever Edelgard would throw a temper tantrum when she was a child and things were scattered about everywhere. She had a very haughty personality, but Hubert lived to serve. 

He also lightly dusted the bookshelves and began to idly shelve the books, not really caring what material the girl was reading, although he did spot some...interesting works of fiction based on the book covers alone. 

Hubert would check on Bernie every few minutes, her eyes still wide open in shock. When she finally stirred, he rushed to her bedside. “You’ve awakened,” he said. 

“You...you…” Her eyes remained wide open. She took in her surroundings and lifted the bedsheets over her head, as if doing so would make her disappear. It was but a futile effort, as Hubert knew she was very much still there.

“I’m afraid I have yet to make a proper introduction. My apologies. My name is Hubert von Vestra.” He bowed to her in respect. “I was informed by Leonie that my cape was ready for pickup, but she was not present. Your shop was still open.”

“Oh…” She slowly lowered the sheets from her face. “You’re um...Hubert?”

“In the flesh.”

“Eep.” She lifted the sheets back up. Perhaps that was not the correct choice of words to say.

“Not what you expected?”

She shook her head under the sheet.. 

“You don't need to say it. I know. I'm frightening. I'm told so often.”

The poor girl was still recovering from shock. Not to mention, he, a stranger, was in her room almost seemingly unannounced. Still, he was feeling this prickling sensation for having frightened her to this degree. His earlier amusement had completely worn off.

“If I may, is my cape complete? After all, it is the reason I have come to this establishment.”

She nodded. 

“I see it hanging up over in that corner. May I take it?”

She nodded again.

“Very well, then.” He took the cape and placed the remaining gold he owed her on her desk. “I shall see you again soon, perhaps. Good night.” Hubert awkwardly left the house, mentally chastising himself for his heedless actions. As he drove home, he couldn't help but wonder if she would ever accept his commissions ever again. 

* * *

“Stupid! Stupid! Bernie, you’re so stupid! You lost your best customer!” She wanted to cry at her stupid reaction to Hubert. Yes, he was terrifying to look at, with that grin of his and his angular face and thin eyebrows and hair that covered one green eye. He was absolutely menacing. Simply sinister. Completely creepy. Disturbing and disquieting. 

Why didn’t Leonie mention any of that?

Speaking of Leonie, where was she?

**Did you tell Hubert the cape was ready!?**

Leonie didn’t text back. She was a notoriously slow texter, especially when she was out in one of her night jobs. Maybe this was an emergency rush job. That was the only explanation as to why this entire debacle happened.

Bernadetta couldn’t sleep that night, staring at a fixed point in her room while holding her stuffed bear. _I lost my best customer. I lost my best customer! He’ll find a way to give me bad reviews online and I’m done for. I'll be homeless on the street again. I'll have to go back to customer service. Customer service!_

"Ahhh!" Bernadetta whined into the night. 

Leonie didn’t come back until eleven in the morning.

Bernadetta was laying down on the sofa with one hand extending to the floor, watching a soap opera. To Leonie, she must have looked pathetic. 

“Hey Bernie,” she said. “It’s strange to see you just sitting there watching television.”

“Did you get my text?! Please tell me you got my text!”

“Huh?” Leonie said, whipping out her phone. “Oh, my phone must’ve died and I didn’t know they’d call me to work last night. Good thing they did cuz things got really busy last night at the Deer with that fight and all. Pallardó’s whereabouts have been spotted and I was fishing about for clues.”

Leonie had many jobs but her true job was that of a bounty hunter. 

Problem was that she was only but a fledgling, having only caught repeat shoplifters and others committing petty crimes. The bulk of her income came from bartending and the tips she’d gotten from her patrons. Leonie had discussed Pallardó at length in recent weeks. He was no ordinary thief, and catching him would open up Leonie’s doors. She would become just as great of a bounty hunter as her idol, Jeralt Eisner. Or at least that’s what Leonie believed.

“I lost my best customer,” Bernadetta said. 

“Hubert?” she said. 

Bernadetta turned away from the television.

“Oh right, I got that phone call just _after_ calling him and ran out the door. Must’ve forgotten to tell you. Sorry!”

Bernadetta gave her a quick summary of last night’s events. “You didn’t tell me he was scary!”

“Huh?”

“He’s so tall and when he walked in the room, it got so cold as if this unspeakable horror just...just…”

“He’s not bad. Then again, I’m used to meeting guys who could seriously give Hubert a run for his money in regards to scariness. I mean, I have to actively watch what happens to the drinks I serve. My boss doesn’t want a lawsuit or anything like that.”

 _That makes sense, actually._ But it wasn’t just that, it was the fact that she momentarily thought he was one of her father’s goons. That she had finally been tracked down by him. 

Not to mention while she was passed out, he took the liberty of picking up her space a little. In fact, now that she remembered things a little clearer, while she was having her freak out, he picked up her needles from the floor. He probably wasn’t a bad guy at all. _Oh no! What did I do?!_

Bernadetta began to sob. “I’m so terrible! Why did I act that way? Why!”

“You know, you could just call him up and apologize..”

“Easy for you to say!” There was no way she could possibly call him. That was absurd. 

“It’s a lot easier to do than you think it is. Also, that reminds me. I’m sorry for not telling you Hubert was on his way to pick up his cape.”

‘You’re forgiven, Leonie,” Bernadetta said. 

“See? It’s easy! I’m sure if you do it he’ll accept the apology and things’ll go back to normal.”

Leonie had a point. But she wasn’t done yet. 

“Once you do that I’ll guarantee you’ll feel better and you can go back to being you.” Leonie yawned without covering her mouth, causing it spread to Bernadetta. She didn’t realize how exhausted she was, yet her thoughts persisted. “I’m gonna go pass out now. Best of luck to ya, Bernie!”

Leonie left the living area and Bernadetta was back to her soap opera. 

She could barely keep up with the plot. Apparently it was about some prince in disguise or something because he was supposedly said. He was hanging out with his general, who nearly worshipped him, but apparently couldn’t see through his paper-thin disguise. 

Bernadetta grabbed one of Hubert’s requests sheets, input the number listed, and stared at her phone for ten minutes. 

_Just call him, Bernie._

_What happens if he answers? What will you say?_

_Just call him, Bernie!_

_Yeah, but what happens if he laughs at me or something? He probably has a really scary laugh!_

_JUST DO IT!_

The screaming thought made Bernadetta press the call icon on her phone. She got up from the sofa and began pacing quickly around the living area. _Ring....ring...ring…._

With each ring, Bernadetta’s heart pounded faster and faster and her breathing became strained. It was potentially one step closer to him answering and she had no idea what she’d say if he picked up. 

“The phone number you have called is not available right now.” _Voicemail. Thank the goddess!_ “At the tone, please leave your message. _Beep_.” 

Bernadetta took in a deep breath, still pacing. “Um...hi Hubert! It’s um, Bernie. I’m the um...uh girl who um...makes your clothes. I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. Also thanks for um, cleaning up the needles I dropped on the floor and stuff. I realize I was being really unprofessional and um...yeah. The end. I hope you have a good rest of your day!”

She hit the end call icon and exhaled. She did feel better after doing that, but at what cost?

Bernadetta ran up to her room and hid under the covers, hoping he would get the message, forgive her, and be done with it. Then if he had another request, then things could go back to the way they were. Right?

Either way, she was really sleepy. A small nap wouldn’t hurt, would it?

* * *

It was a really busy day at work today, but it always was during this time of year, when the fiscal year was about to begin and yearly finances of the year that just ended had to be analyzed and retrieved, which was one of his primary job duties. It was always what was done during the Guardian Moon. Edelgard was always on high alert and it was up to Hubert to ascertain she wasn’t about to go insane. 

Dimitri always was a thorn in her side, damn him. Not to mention the Slitherers --their main source of donations-- but they were needed for the time being. 

This meeting with Dimitri was a trainwreck, leaving everyone in the room utterly exhausted, Hubert included. As a result, he needed more coffee. 

“Hubert,” Edelgard said once they were alone in her office together. “You’re free to take the rest of the day off.”

“Nonsense.”

“I need you to be in top form for the next meeting. We have to be aggressive if we want to go anywhere with our policies and I can’t do this without you.” He knew what she was saying between the lines. It was a new year and she would be up for re-election this year. Her rise to power was meteoric but these were the most crucial steps if Edelgard wanted to achieve her true goals. She not only needed to maintain momentum but also attract the love of more people by staying true to her promises. Hubert knew it was a very well within the realm of possibility, but it wouldn't be easy. 

“What makes you say I’m not in top form right this second?”

Edelgard pouted. If this were five years ago, he would have found that immensely adorable. Now, he dreaded whenever she did that. “I didn’t say anything of the sort, but you were...what should I say? A touch distracted.” 

“It’s been a long day for us all, Edelgard,” he countered.

Edelgard went quiet, which always whenever she was about to say something Hubert didn’t like. “You haven’t taken a single day off since...I can’t remember. I appreciate your dedication, but you’re the most valuable member of my team.”

“There has not been a single day worth taking off.”

“That’s why I am telling you to take the rest of the day off. Do not question me.” 

He huffed, knowing it was best to back down whenever Edelgard was being authoritative. “As you wish,” he said, bowing to her and leaving the room.

Hubert had his phone on silent and saw he had multiple missed calls and three voicemails. 

A majority of the missed calls were from similar numbers as him. Hubert rolled his eyes. _Robocalls_. He did see one number was entirely different than his and the robocalls. The area code was from near the Oghma Mountains.

As he left the building, he dialed his voicemail. “Beep! If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with--” Hubert hit delete. The second one was yet another automated voice telling him he was wanted by the police for tax fraud. Him, of all people, wanted for tax fraud. He had arguably committed worse crimes than that and the robots could only think of such a thing as _tax fraud_.

“Beep! Um...hi Hubert! It’s um, Bernie. I’m the um...uh girl who um...makes your clothes…” His breath caught as he heard the rest of the message. She was adorably nervous, yet regretful of her actions. 

He had to admit to himself the truth: last night was the primary reason why he was half distracted throughout today. He was wondering if he had gone overboard by going upstairs and entering this girl’s room like that. He allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, but he also wanted to apologize and set the record straight with her. 

He also couldn’t stop thinking about her and the impression she left on him and the instant attraction he felt towards her...And the frightening impression he left on her. He wanted to rectify that immediately. He added the number to his contacts list and dialed her back. 

She picked up a few rings later. “He-hello?”

“Good afternoon,” he said, attempting to keep his voice even. “Is this Bernie?” he said. “Bernie” had to be short for something but it would suffice for the time being. 

“Um...yes?”

“This is Hubert von Vestra. I was just returning your call.”

“Oh! Yes, um, of course!”

“I was wondering if we could meet for some coffee. Would that be satisfactory?”

Bernie went still. He was certain she was still on the line.

“Bernie?”

“Um, sure! Where do you want to meet?”

He quickly used a maps app and picked out the first coffee shop he saw near her home. It seemed decent enough.

“I’m seeing there is a rather well-reviewed one close to your residence. I can meet you there in half an hour, yes?”

“S-sure!”

“I will send you the address. I will see you, then.”

When Hubert arrived, he scanned the room for Bernie, but she was nowhere in sight. 

The coffee shop was the typical, quaint hipster joint, with the barista having a half shaved green head and full of piercings in one ear. He felt oddly out of place with his suit in this casual environment. 

He ordered an espresso and waited for Bernie to come in. 

Each time the shop’s bells rang, he would look expectantly at the door, awaiting Bernie. But she never came. Hubert wondered if she was running late or was standing him up. He doubted she was standing him up. She had agreed to meet him.

She finally arrived when he was halfway through his drink. She was wearing a gray hoodie with a large image of cartoon black cat smiling deviously and a short purple skirt over black leggings. He chastised his heartbeat for quickening at the sight of her. Her eyes fell on his and she awkwardly looked away when he motioned for her to come closer.

“Hi,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “Sorry I’m late!” 

“No need to apologize. Would you like to order a coffee? I will order a second drink myself.”

They stood in line together, neither saying a single word to the other. Bernie’s arms were crossed when the barista called for her. 

“Um, I’ll have an iced latte and um, can I have some chocolate cake, please?”

“And I would enjoy another espresso,” Hubert said, cutting in. “I’ll be paying for the two of us.”

“You will?!” Bernie asked. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

Once they got their orders, they sat in silence with Bernie staring intently at her straw.

“I’ll get right to it. I sincerely apologize for last night,” he began. “I realize I overstepped my bounds.”

She bit her lip. “Leonie told me she did call you. You, um...you were actually supposed to come over but forgot to tell me. I just um, panicked.” 

“To be fair, I have never visited a tailor in the middle of the night before I started commissioning you.” He sipped the remainder of his first coffee. “They have a tendency to operate during regular hours.”

“I guess the hours we keep are a little strange, huh?”

“But I find it to be...quaint.” It was the closest he could find himself getting towards flattery without feeling rotten to the core. He believed in showing his true compliments through actions and not words. 

“And um, thanks for picking up the needles. And cleaning. And for carrying me back to my bed when I fainted.”

Their eyes met for a second. Her eyes were so large and a shade of stormy gray. They were impressionable. Hubert felt his pulse rise before he stared at his cup again.

“It was of no problem for me. I believe now that we have our apologies settled in order, we can finally move past this.” He didn’t want to keep running around in circles, dancing an endless apology dance with this girl. 

“Right! So um...what do you do, Hubert?” she said, changing the conversation.

“I work as Edelgard von Hresvelg’s chief of staff and tactician.”

“Oh. That name sounds familiar.”

Hubert wondered if she lived under a rock. She was a recluse, after all. “And is running a shop your only occupation?”

“Um...yes! I used to have a different job, but I quit.” Hubert gave her a look, as though telling her to elaborate. “Um, I worked at a bakery. It wasn’t…”

“It wasn’t to your liking?”

“All of the cakes were prepackaged. I didn’t do any baking. It was more um...customer service. I quit in a month.”

“Do you enjoy baking cakes?”

She nodded. “Yup! My uncle and I used to make them all the time when I was a kid.” She covered her mouth, as though she said something wrong. “Um...yes! Baking is one of my hobbies.”

“And why open a tailor instead of a bakery?”

“Well...I like to embroider and make things, too! And people seem to like my work. That kind of makes me feel really happy.” She finally took note of his suit. “Hey! I recognize that! I made it!” 

“Indeed.” It was one of her creations. He could have shown her the tag she included with her logo and insignia.

“I’ve never seen my stuff like...like...out in the open!”

“Of course. It was meticulously made. Why wouldn’t I wear it?”

The two drank their coffees in awkward silence. 

“I’m glad we got to discuss what happened last night,” he said once they both finished their coffees. 

“Me too, H-Hubert.” She got up from her seat. “I should get going.”

“Of course. I enjoyed our time together,” he said. He instantly reprimanded himself as she nodded awkwardly and left the coffee shop. _Enjoyed our time together? What a pathetic way to end the conversation._ But there was no point in apologizing for his natural awkwardness.

But at least the dust between them had settled. And that was what mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta and Hubert exchange messages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!
> 
> Gonna make an addendum saying that this is when Hubert and Bernadetta (and later on, other characters) begin to send text messages to each other. The way I've structured these messages is that they're meant to show as a conversation and would count as a dialogue of sorts. They are in bold font for clarity. 
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy this awkward ride.

_I enjoyed our time together._ His parting words echoed in her head.

Hubert was still terrifying to look at but he wasn’t so bad. He was actually quite nice and he even paid for her coffee. She didn’t know why she was so shaken up over the idea of meeting him again...And she had been so late to their meeting too! _You shouldn't have taken so long to get ready, Bernie. You’re so stupid!_

Bernadetta’s thoughts soon manifested elsewhere. She had never met a man in this setting before.

_That wasn’t a date, was it?_

_No way! It was pretty much the two of you apologizing to each other. Nothing else!_

It felt weird to meet with a man like this. Bernadetta wasn’t allowed to do any of that but doing so gave her kind of a strange rush, like she was further defying her parents, her father especially…

It was a combination of her feeling terrified of defying everything she was taught and vindication that she was a free woman, free to do anything she pleased. 

Bernadetta took out her phone and tapped on Hubert’s profile. **I enjoyed our time together, too, Hubert. It was actually great finally meeting you!**

She hoped that sounded friendly enough. She didn’t expect she’d ever actually meet him, but it felt like the right thing to say.

Her phone buzzed seconds later.

**Likewise.**

**Can I ask you something?**

**Anything.**

**How did you find my store?**

Hubert sent her a long text detailing how his boss was stricken with a virus and how he was taking over one of her important duties on such short notice. He was given a recommendation of her store by a clerk and the rest, as they say, was history.

**How did that event go, Hubert?**

**Terrible. It was simply terrible.**

**:'( Why was it so terrible?**

**I am not simply made for public speaking. The idea of being up on stage, catering to an audience, intent on listening and adhering to your every word while you blather on, is not to my liking.**

The sound of the door opening made Bernadetta pry herself away from her phone. It was Leonie, holding a pizza box. “Hey! I got us some food.” She took in Bernadetta’s appearance. “You’re dressed up.”

“Um, I met up with Hubert at a nearby coffee shop.”

Leonie’s eyebrow raised. “Wow! That was a pretty fast resolution, I take it?”

“Well, I still find him pretty scary to look at, but he’s not so bad. He was really nice and polite to me, actually! I just, uh, can’t really um, make eye contact without panicking.”

“You can’t do that with anyone, though.”

Bernadetta gasped. “ _Especially_ him!”

“Well, do you at least feel better after all that?”

She nodded.

“Told ya!”

Leonie offered her the pizza box while she went to the kitchen and took out a bottle of beer from the fridge. She handed Bernadetta a can of cherry soda and turned on the TV, where a movie about vampires was on. They watched the movie while eating their dinner.

 _A vampire_ , Bernadetta thought. _Hubert sort of reminds me of one._

It wasn’t until it was later in the evening when Bernadetta forgot she was messaging Hubert.

**Sorry for not getting back to you! Leonie brought us food and we watched a movie together. It’s kind of rare when we have the chance to do that.**

Bernadetta was surprised by how quickly Hubert messaged her back. **It’s fine. I was just filing some paperwork. Edelgard ordered me to take the rest of my day off but I still find myself facing the need to be productive.**

No one understood about needs more than she did. She wanted to stay in her room at all times if she got her way. Even though she was now miles and miles away from home, she realized that if someplace felt like home enough to her, she would just stay there and never leave. 

**I was just going to say, Hubert. I can’t imagine standing on a podium in front of hundreds and hundreds of people...It’s scary! (+_+)** Bernadetta shuddered at the thought as she hit send. 

**If I must be honest, I froze.**

**You froze?**

**Indeed. I opened my mouth but the words wouldn't come out. I was quite fortunate that I did, eventually, gather my bearings but those first few moments of my speech were some of the longest moments I had ever experienced.**

She tried to place herself in his shoes. A tall, stern faced man like him feeling terrified of an audience. It made him sympathetic in her eyes. 

**However, there was a silver lining to all of that.**

Bernadetta was waiting for him to text what that was but it was clear he was awaiting her response. **That it ended?**

**I was impeccably dressed.**

A smile formed on her face. He wasn’t a bad guy at all. Maybe they would be friends. Bernadetta could have used a few more friends, after all.

* * *

Hubert could not put his phone down. He eventually fell asleep that night, with it in his hand. That was the pattern every night since he met Bernie at the coffee shop.

He never told anyone about that disastrous night when he had to take over Edelgard’s duties. Hubert wasn’t one to ever rely on the frivolities of hope, but that night, he so wished Edelgard could have made a miraculous recovery in time for her speech. But alas, that did not come to pass. He spent so much time meticulously caring for his appearance more than ever before. He never cared about that sort of thing prior to that evening. He was perfectly content being a shadow, working behind the scenes, but being in the spotlight, the _actual_ spotlight, with hundreds of eyes on him was harrowing. 

It was almost like flying to him. 

Hubert was terrified of heights but he had nothing but tremendous respect for those who used planes or enjoyed climbing long vertical distances. It was also the reason why his office was so heavily curtained. 

His cell phone was located on the inside of his desk drawer, where it was under lock and key. Hubert had the key placed around his neck, the key tucked inside the white dress shirt. It was tempting to grab the key and check his phone for messages, but he had informed Bernie he would be unavailable at the moment. 

His hand ghosted the key. He was ready to take off the necklace, but he had other, more pressing matters.

After some time, there was a knock on his door. It was Edelgard, “Hubert?”

“Good morning...er, afternoon now, I suppose.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I need your help, Hubert. Could you come over and make sure we’re on the right track with this year’s fiscal documents? If our numbers are off, even by a single decimal point, Dimitri will use that as leeway to destroy us.”

“Of course, Edelgard,” he said, leaving his office--and his cell phone. 

He had served her for so long, over twenty two years now, he had barely known any other life. _Edelgard is destined for great things_ , his wretch of a father said. _You must serve her, be the shade that follows her in kind. She must succeed in all of her endeavors, Hubert. It’s up to you to guide her._

That was before he showed his second face, his true face, and stabbed Ionius in the back. 

He went through the documents, carefully calculating each and every figure. This was nothing compared to the other things he had to do for her. It was a small price to pay, especially since Edelgard was currently surrounded in the viper’s den. Hubert was the only person she could trust and he had to adhere to that. 

Yet for the first time in...over a decade, Hubert was easily distracted. And all for a girl he barely knew. 

_You must focus._

He had to compartmentalize and compose himself. 

He shifted gears and began to carefully sift through his documents again. 

The hours passed, and before he knew it, he was altered to the sounds of movement outside. 

It must have been people clocking out for the day. It was five o’ clock already. Yet, Hubert had only gone through a certain percentage of the papers. It wasn’t enough. 

He kept going until the darkness began to creep into Edelgard’s office. 

“You’re still here, of course,” Edelgard said. 

“I still have much to do.”

“The deadline isn’t for a few more days. You’ve done more than enough.”

“I insist, I must stay.” He had to. It was for his own good. He had become too distracted in too short of a time. 

“And I said we’re closing. Hubert, what’s gotten into you lately?”

“I know not what you’re saying.”

“You’ve been out of sorts since you had to fill in for me when I was sick.”

Hubert raised an eyebrow. “Have I now?” He didn’t feel that way. His output was the same, if not more than the others. He still instilled terror towards the staffers, especially the interns (except for one girl who happened to be from the Alliance--also a girl who wormed her way into Edelgard’s good graces). Nothing had changed, except he started getting his clothes tailored from Bernie’s. But he only just met her for the first time the other day. They were not correlated. 

“Hubert, what I’m trying to say is that you’ve pushed yourself. You’ve pushed yourself for so long for my sake.”

“Is that why you’ve--”

“Precisely. You’re invaluable to me, Hubert, but I worry about you, you know. You’re one of my dearest friends.” Her hand fell on his cheek. It was a gesture of friendly affection, almost siblinglike. A gesture he misread all those years ago when he leaned in and closed the gap between them. “Please go home and rest.” She let go of her hand. He began to leave the room. “And don’t drink any more coffee today, please. I’m petrified you’ll get an ulcer if you overdo it.”

Hubert laughed at the mere thought of it. 

He gathered his belongings and unlocked the drawer where his cell phone was. No new messages. He knew the truth: she was only texting him back to make friendly conversation. Hubert wasn’t built to sustain any kind of friendship with people, other than Edelgard. But goodness, he wanted to message her more than anything. His feelings were inexplicable, almost appalling to him. 

**I’m out of work now.**

He began to drive his car when his phone buzzed. He was tempted to call her while driving, but he quickly figured it was much easier to message her rather than initiate actual conversation, where both of them seemed to freeze on the spot. 

The second Hubert parked his car into the parking garage of his apartment complex, he read Bernie’s message, adrenaline reaching his face. **How was work? I think you can figure what I did today. :)**

Hubert tried not to look too deep into her smiling face emoji. He wasn’t one who used or understood their appeal much. **Work was work. I oversaw the fiscal documents. Edelgard doesn’t trust others enough to do it.** He regretted sending the text message. It may have come across as more narcissistic than he wanted it to. **It is one of my main duties but this is an election year and any miscalculations could hinder our campaign.** He entered his apartment and took off his tie, anticipating her next text.

**She must really trust you! How long have you known Edelgard?**

**Her entire life, really.**

**That’s really neat!**

**I suppose so.** The messages hit a lull and Hubert’s adrenaline rush died down as he lay down on his bed.

 **I’m sorry if I’m slow to reply. Tonight’s Thursday and I have to attend Leonie’s class.** Hubert stared at the phone in amazement. So she did go out other than forced apologetic coffee meetings. 

**I see. Have fun, then.**

Hubert hated how awkward he was feeling again. He took out his reading glasses and one of his history books and began to read until he would feel his eyes grow tired. 

* * *

“Hey Bernie, what are you doing?” Leonie asked her. She was dressed in her instructor uniform, keeping an orange sweater around her waist. Bernadetta wore her usual black shorts and a red tank top for her lessons. She put away the phone. 

“Nothing! Just passing the time!” She read Hubert’s message telling her to have fun and tucked away her phone inside her satchel.

“Class is going to start soon, you know! Didn’t you say you wanted a quick refresher, though?”

Even though Hubert turned out to be a good guy, she still faltered in defending herself. All she did was scream and faint. She was also pretty sure she told Hubert to die at some point. 

How was he still interested in building a friendship with her? Or was he just being facetious until this whole thing truly blew over? _Now’s not the time to think that!_

Bernadetta got into position, standing next to Hilda, one of Leonie’s friends, and followed Leonie’s every move. After they were done, Leonie joined Bernadetta and her old high school friends for their usual girl’s night out. Bernadetta often felt like an outsider within the group, often hovering towards near Marianne, who was the quietest member of Leonie’s friend group. 

During these weekly occasions, they would generally hang out at an ice cream store (usually at Lysithea’s insistence) and talk. Bernadetta rarely spoke, but enjoyed listening to Hilda’s stories, as she was the one who usually led the conversation. 

She and Marianne lived in Leicester, while Lysithea lived in Enbarr. Despite being the youngest in the group, she was the only one in a serious and committed relationship. Hilda was very much enjoying the single life and often told stories of the guys she interacted with.

“Okay so like, I told this guy to come into my room. That I needed help carrying some luggage.” 

Marianne went red. 

“And he asked me if I was redecorating. Redecorating!”

“Yeah, but did you...y’know?” Lysithea asked. Marianne’s shade of red had turned purple. Leonie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Wait! I’m getting to it! I’m like ‘wow you’re really oblivious’ but I like my men a little stupid, if I’m being honest. But he did agree to go to my room, and then--”

Bernadetta cast her phone a furtive glance and moved her fingers towards the phone. **Out with some friends.** Bernadetta wasn’t sure if they were actually her friends other than Leonie, but it was close enough. **I know what you’re thinking. How can a renowned recluse go out with people like this?**

The phone instantly buzzed. **Perhaps.** Bernadetta blushed, turning down the phone’s vibration setting while Hilda went off about her hookup with the extraordinary dense guy. 

**It’s tiring. I like these girls but whenever I’m out, I start craving the need to go back home. 0_0**

**I don’t really “go out”.**

**You understand!**

**I suppose I haven’t the time to forge friendships. It’s not a necessity for me.**

_But you’re talking to me, aren’t you?_

“Oooh who are you talking to, Bernie? Is it a boy?” Hilda said. Bernadetta jumped out of her seat, goosebumps hitting all over her arms as Hilda attempted to sneak a peek into her phone. Bernadetta shut the backlight on her phone, feeling relieved it was encrypted with a security pin in case Hilda tried to pry it out of her hands. Despite Hilda’s insistence of being a weakling, especially during their class, she was in actuality, extraordinarily strong.

“No boys allowed!” Lysithea said. She cast Marianne a glance, asking for support, but Marianne said nothing. “If I can’t talk to Cyril, then no one can talk to their boyfriends.”

“Oooo what’s his name? What’s he like? Is he tall? Dark? Handsome? Blonde? Short? Give me all the deets!”

Bernadetta knew she was past being red. She must have been the color of a beet. “I-It’s not l-like that!” It really wasn’t! She didn’t have any romantic feelings for Hubert. At all. And she was certain he felt the same way! They were only starting to form a friendship. _Even though he literally just said he doesn’t make friendships_. Maybe she was an outlier. 

“It never is!” Hilda said.

“Chill out, Hilda. She’s been messaging one of her clients," Leonie said. Bernadetta shot her a grateful look. 

“Is it a _guy_ client?” Hilda asked, her voice teasing. 

“Um...yes? But it isn’t like that!”

“We should read the messages,” Lysithea said. 

“NO!” Bernadetta yelled.

“Either way, if either of you three ever find boyfriends or even get a date, you know who to call!” Hilda said in a singsong voice. 

“Pfft,” Leonie said. “As if I’m interested in that stuff.” 

“Oh Leonie, you know all you need to do is put on some makeup and wear a nice outfit and guys’ll flock all over you, especially since you decided to grow our hair out! Actually, I can say the same for all of you. _Especially_ you, Marianne!”

Marianne blushed.

Bernadetta peeked into her phone again when the coast was clear a few minutes later. **I rectify what I said. My apologies for that. Friendships are but a rarity when you are in my position. I believe you are quite aware of the difficulties of forging friendships. I do not mean to cast you out. It was not my intention.**

If only Hubert understood just how difficult it was for her to even make friends. 

**It’s alright, Hubert. I understand exactly what you mean! :)**

She set her phone aside and listened in on the conversation that Leonie now led about some guy at the bar starting a fight with another. “Wait, was this guy kinda short, shaved blue hair on both sides and blue eyes?”

“Um...actually, yeah…?” Leonie said.

“Ugh, why wasn’t I there?”

Bernadetta laughed at the turn the conversation had taken. 

“See? She gets it!” Hilda said. "I knew I liked you, Bernie!"

“You do?” she asked. 

“Bernie, you’re our friend!” Marianne said. Bernadetta wasn’t sure if Marianne had said anything prior to that, but it made Bernadetta go red. She felt an outpouring of happiness, yet also a pinprick of sadness. She never had a group of friends before and these girls actually liked her. 

“You guys...you’re my friends, too!” She felt truth in her words. It had taken her just about two years, but she never felt better than she did right now. She hoped this feeling would continue to grow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta form an easy, yet awkward friendship.

_ 14 years ago _

Whenever Hubert played the piano, he did it as a way to de-stress. These days it was his only outlet. 

Today was like the days of old, with his mother sitting in the lounge, drinking a hot cup of coffee, eyes closed, intent on hearing her only child listen to the melodic sounds of the piano. 

She was the one who got him a piano tutor all those years ago. 

The piece he was playing was fast, Hubert never had the patience for slower songs, he needed to play something fast, something quickly. He needed fire and he needed intensity, anything to fight these feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. 

Emotions were a nasty thing to have and yet they were quickly catching up to him. He had to become one with the song. It was the only way to run away from it all.

“Hubert,” he could hear his father say as he continued with his piece. “Hubert.  _ Hubert _ ." He slammed the piano case down on his hands, the final abrupt note still lingering in the air. 

“Yes, father?” he said, attempting not to clench his teeth in pain. He kept his hands inside the case for a moment, glanced at his father, who wore his most threatening face, and slowly slipped them out. He was in trouble. He knew this moment would arrive sooner or later. 

“Why is it that I’m seeing that your grade in Calculus has slipped?”

“My apologies, Father. I will seek out extra tutoring.” It was a lie. He didn’t want to use up any more time away from home. Not now. Not when his mother was like this. 

“Let me see that,” his mother said from her space. She read the report card and set it down. “It’s but a B+. Considering everything going on, can’t you cut our son some slack?”

“He knows better,” father said. “He knows better than to show a half effort. This is not the way a scion of House Vestra presents himself. Maybe you’re not good enough to serve the Hresvelgs when the time comes.”

Hubert had nothing to say to that. He just wanted his father to ride his anger out.

The truth was that he had reached a compromise with his fool of a math teacher. If he passed his exam with an A, his 89.5% would be properly rounded. But he scored exactly that in his midterm exam, rendering the deal moot. It was a stupid deal, but he spent all of his free school time studying with Edelgard and his time at home with his mother. Edelgard was the one who had gotten a perfect score on the midterm. Of course she did. Everything she did was effortlessly perfect.

Hubert gazed at his mother.

He didn’t know how much longer he’d have with her. She was worsening by the day and one of the few things that gave her joy was her listening to him playing the piano.

“You’re stressing him out,” she said. “He’s sixteen. His grades are fine enough as it is.”

Hubert rose from his bench and bowed. “I understand I have dishonored you, father. I will do all I can not to repeat this mistake again.” He left the living area, hoping not to hear his parents arguing. It was the last thing his mother needed. He left precisely so that it wouldn’t come to fruition, but he could hear their voices all the way from his bedroom. 

It was all his fault. 

What he needed to do was fix it. So he took out his textbook and began to study so that he wouldn’t repeat his mistake a second time. 

* * *

_ Present Day _

As the deadline approached, Hubert increasingly got through his days just by looking forward to his texts with Bernie whenever he woke up to whenever he was forced to leave work. He desperately didn’t want Edelgard to think that he was in a slump. Especially since she was now giving more tasks to one of the interns, Lysithea, who was meeting all of her expectations. 

“I would like to hire Lysithea von Ordelia full-time,” Edelgard told him. 

“Are you certain that’s a good idea? She’s from the Alliance, not to mention what happened with the Ordelia family years ago might bring about...a negative impact on your image.”

“Yes, but her origins don’t matter. We hire based on talent and what a person could bring to the table. We’ve discussed this. I am also aware of the fact that her significant other is a boy from Almyra. We can spin that to our benefit if need be.”

“Do whatever you wish, Edelgard. You know I will not stop you.”

Edelgard sighed and rubbed her temples. “It’s been a long week, Hubert. I’m sorry if I seem rather indignant right now towards you, but we need all the help we can get.”

“Of course. But as long as this task is complete, we can now focus on the greater details.”

“Oh Hubert. Always looking ahead.”

He waited for her to leave his office before he checked out his phone again. He felt—shy, was it?— No. It was more of a trepidation regarding his underlings finding out he was very much involved in his messages with his tailor. He was too busy right now to think up his next commission, but he was certain he’d think of one soon enough.

**I’ve completed the project. The deadline is here and it has now passed. All is well.**

She took a few minutes to respond.  **Yay! ^_^**

**Would you like to partake in some coffee with me? Same locale?**

The moments passed slowly until Hubert decided he should start taking his leave. He was hoping she would say yes.  _ Hoping? Don’t be so frivolous.  _

**Sure! I’ll start getting ready. I’m still embarrassed that I was so late last time!**

He began to drive to that location again, his pulse racing in anticipation. 

He waited awkwardly by the door this time, knowing the shop was mostly empty. She showed up late again, but not nearly as late as she did the last time. She wore a yellow hoodie with a cartoon horse and shorts. Their outfits were such a stark contrast to one another, but it wasn’t as though he were asking her out to dinner. Not that he would have done that. 

“Um, hey Hubert!”

“Good afternoon,” he said, bowing.

Their gazes met. Bernie immediately broke away. “We should probably go inside.”

“How has your week been?” he asked as they waited for the person in front of them to complete their order. 

“Oh. Um...not too bad! I’ve stayed mostly inside, except when Leonie has her classes and I go. My commissions have been slower lately, but I’ll be fine!"

They were called to order and once again, Hubert offered to pay for their coffees. She accepted his offer, her face flushed as she did so. 

When they took their seats, Hubert noticed her gaze fell on her coffee’s stirrer. He stiffened his posture and attempted to smile in her direction in an effort to ease the tension. 

“I um, read up on Edelgard and I feel um, kind of bad I didn’t know who she was.”

He didn’t want to tell her few people didn’t know who she was. Hubert thought was an quite an odd one. She was a recluse, but also someone who seemed to be genuinely trying to broaden her horizons. It was admirable of her to try and—

“Um...Hubert?” 

“Yes?”

“Um...Can you not um...smile? It’s kind of scaring me.” He quickly tried to put a neutral face, which caused her to have a freak out. “I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have said that! That’s so rude of me! Stupid, rude Bernie! Always saying the wrong thing and upsetting others!”

He was uncomfortable with the fact that she was insulting herself. “You spoke your mind. I am quite appreciative of your candor.”

“You’re not angry with me?”

He shook his head. “Not in the slightest, but find it disconcerting you are quick to insult yourself. I see no need for you to say such things. They seem...unwarranted.”

“Sorry!”

"There is no reason for you to be sorry."

The two of them sat in silence. Hubert couldn’t understand how it was that their conversations were a wellspring on their phone. They were neverending, insightful, and deep, but now that they had met again, both of them were tongue-tied.

Hubert sipped his coffee, going through conversation topics, but nothing came to mind. He was still thinking about how it was a mistake to smile in her direction. Perhaps if he laughed then maybe it could ease the tension between them. 

He so desperately wanted that tension to simmer down.

“I’m sorry...I still find you a little scary. Maybe if you um...I don’t know, actually. Maybe get some sleep? I’m not being horrible to you, am I? I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

_ Feelings? _ Feelings were such an odd concept to Hubert. Perhaps it was that Bernie felt too much. It wasn’t a terrible thing to feel deeply for others. It was almost endearing. “Never mind my feelings, Bernie. I have what one could easily call unnaturally thick skin.”

Bernie must have been his opposite, with incredibly thin skin, prone to taking things deeply. Again, not a bad thing. He began to think of her skin. The bright colors she wore certainly complimented her skin tone. She glowed in this shop. He wondered if her skin was soft to the touch. How she would react if he…

_ She would scream and flee in terror. _

_ Why must my thoughts keep coming back to this? _

It likely had to do with the fact that he hadn’t had someone to warm his bed in years. He didn’t have any desire to take in a new companion by any means and the last time he did, he specifically did so in a sloppy attempt to dilute his puerile romantic feelings for Edelgard. 

Hubert wasn’t meant for romance, anyway. 

"Oh I know!" Bernie said, taking Hubert out of his thoughts. “I’ll think up something you can wear that’ll make you less scary! Maybe if we can do something about that, then maybe it’ll be easier to talk to you in person.”

Hubert crossed his arms. “I must admit, I’m rather intrigued on what you would find less intimidating.” He could only wonder what Bernie could do that would make him seem more appealing to her. “As long as you don’t make me wear pastels. I’ve been told it’s ineffective to the highest degree.”

Bernadetta laughed, her laugh music to his ears.

He laughed, too, but in a controlled attempt to make it seem less unpleasant to her. He didn’t want to ruin the moment between them. After all, he was increasingly starting to find value in her presence.

* * *

Bernadetta was lost in thought. She was working on a commission of a horse plushie for Marianne of all people. She wanted a horse made in Dorte’s likeness. It had been a few days since she met up with Hubert and they were still messaging each other as though she didn’t completely embarrass herself back in the coffeeshop.

“Who’s Dorte?” Bernadetta asked. 

“He’s my best friend.”  _ I thought Hilda was your best friend.  _

Marianne sent her a picture of a large cream colored stallion and Bernie got to work.

As Bernadetta got to work, she looked at some of the more recent plushies she made. Bernadetta didn’t really have the option to bring any of her plushies with her when she left home so she only brought her large bear. The same bear she made her shop’s mascot. 

Everything she had here were recent creations. 

She looked at her crochet carnivorous plant plushies. Her mother used to chastise her for her interest in these plants but she loved them so much. She wished other people could appreciate them the way she did. 

But people often liked flowers. Flowers were pretty. And she did like flowers, too, just not on the level she did with pitcher plants and Venus flytraps and butterworts. 

Flowers…

_ That’s it! _

She could make him a flower! An embroidered flower for him to wear! It would be detachable, yet sturdy. 

Bernadetta began to gather the materials needed. Even though she wanted to construct Dorte, she also was hit with a flash of inspiration and she didn’t want to let go of that momentum. 

Dorte could wait. 

*

**Hey Hubert, are you busy today?**

It was the weekend. In the weeks they had known each other, she noticed he was easier to message during the weekends.

**I am cleaning my apartment right now, but no. Is something the matter?**

Is that what he did on Saturdays? Bernadetta looked at her room. It was a horrible mess right now, especially since she was really starting to get into her Dorte plush. 

**I was wondering if we could meet up somewhere. Do you like gardens? I’ve never been to the botanical gardens here in Enbarr.**

She waited for Hubert to reply.  **I haven’t either. Would you like me to pick you up in an hour?**

**Sure!**

Bernadetta got ready. She was tempted to put on one of her hoodies, but hoodies weren’t really suitable to wear to the gardens. She settled on a purple dress and a white sweater. 

Hubert was punctual and arrived exactly an hour to the very minute he sent his text message. She never really observed his car before but now that she looked at it, it looked like the exact kind of car he’d own. A sleek black sedan with black leather seats. It seemed very much his style.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your cleaning,” she said while fastening her seatbelt. She gave him a short nod as he drove off. 

“It was of no consequence. I clean on Saturdays as a formality.”

“And what do you do on Sundays?” Bernadetta looked out the window. It was easier to make conversation this way.

“I read. Then I prepare for the next week’s workload.”

“You don’t do anything? Like surf the internet or watch a movie?”

Hubert went quiet. “No.”

Silence. Bernadetta looked at the radio. Did Hubert listen to music as he drove to work? “Can I?”

He nodded as she turned on the radio. It was currently set to an informative, current event’s based talk show radio. They were talking about Enbarr’s pricing crisis. 

She changed the dial, going through hit music stations, rap, rock, opera, and Almyran music until she settled on classical piano music. It was the most relaxing option. Even though she was a passenger in Hubert’s car, she still found him a little intimidating. She desperately wanted to get her fear of him over and done with because she genuinely liked him. She closed her eyes, enjoying the music. It reminded her of—

“Enjoying the sounds of the piano, are we?” His voice was teasing.

She opened her eyes. “Huh?”

“It’s an interesting pick. I thought you would settle on something else.”

“I find it relaxing to listen to. Um...I used to play piano when I was little. Sometimes I would sit down in the living area of my house and play.” Whenever her father wasn’t around, anyway. He would tell her she was off-key or that she wasn’t impressing anyone with her playing. She did it because it was enjoyable to her, but he sapped out all of the love she had for playing the instrument.

“What a coincidence,” he said. “I too, once played as a boy. My mother thought I had the right hands for it. She said I had long, elegant fingers.” That caused Bernadetta to glance over at his hands on the steering wheel. He did indeed have long fingers. 

“Did you stop playing?”

“At my father’s insistence, yes.”

“Same here!” Bernadetta looked away and covered her mouth. Why did she bring him up?

“It appears we both have that area in commonality, then.” He took a right turn. Bernadetta saw they were close to the gardens on the map. 

When they got out of the car (with Hubert opening the door for a very embarrassed Bernadetta), she tried to make eye contact with him as they began to walk. He usually covered one of his eyes with his hair, but if she looked hard enough, she could see his other green eye. Bernadetta couldn't help but wonder what he looked like if it were pushed back or if he cut his bangs. “Um, Hubert?” She got his attention. “Um, I’ve got something to give you.”

“Do you now? What is it?”

“Do you remember what we talked about the other day? When I was being rude to you.”

“About my frightening face? And you weren’t being rude, I can promise you that.”

“Um...I know you said to disregard your feelings, but I still feel terrible and I still wanted to take you up on that offer to make you less scary. So um...here.” She took out the red aster located inside her satchel. 

“What’s this?” he asked, staring at the flower. “Some kind of embroidery. A flower. It is quite lovely.”

“But it's, um, lovely you said, right? That's why. If you wear it, maybe you'll look less, um... terrifying.”

“You would like for me to wear this?”

“You hate it, don’t you?”

“I never said anything of the sort. In fact, where do I put it?”

Bernadetta moved forward and pinned the flower on his lapel, aware that she was extremely close to him. Close enough to take in his scent of cinnamon and coffee. It fit perfectly. It added some color to his appearance without it looking too distracting. To her, it humanized him quite a bit. 

“Hmm...It really is quite nice,” he said while examining the flower.

“It looks great on you!”

“I will wear this around you in the future, then.”

“You will?! I’m so glad!” She felt this inexplicable happiness. He didn’t commission this from her. She wanted him to wear it out of his own volition and it worked! He liked it!

They walked around the gardens. Bernadetta spotted some butterworts, which caused her to stare at them in fascination. Hubert caught her staring at them. 

“Is there something about that flower you enjoy?”

She shook her head. “Oh? Do you mean the butterwort? Nothing in particular. It’s just...just a nice flower! Yep!”

Hubert frowned at her. “I do not enjoy being lied to.”

Bernadetta felt the heat of embarrassment rush to her face. “It’s silly. Most people don’t really want to know.”

“ _ I _ would like to know. After all, we are in a flower garden, are we not? What is it about this...butterwort you find so fascinating?”

She thought of her mother’s words.  _ Please don’t mention those strange plants you love so much to him.  _ She winced. Maybe she should have told that man about those plants. Then…Then… 

_ No. What's done is done.  _

“They’re sticky.”

“Sticky?”

“Um, their leaves.” Bernadetta cleared her throat. “They don’t really get um, mineral nutrition like other plants do, so um...instead they...um...eat insects to do it.”

“I see.” Hubert paused. “So this seemingly innocuous plant feasts on the flesh of insects.”

“Uh-huh.” Bernadetta expected him to berate the poor, misunderstood plant, but instead he seemed interested in it. 

“Fascinating.” He walked over to where the plant stood, inspecting the leaves. “It sounds like a useful plant.” He further scrutinized the plant. “Come here, Bernie,” he said. 

She watched the plant. A dead fly stood on the leaf. It looked as though it had spent its final moments trying to escape the sticky clutches of the butterwort plant. 

“Like this?” He pointed to the dead fly.

“Yes. This one can probably only take one at a time, though. It’s a small plant. There’s others—bigger ones— who can feed on dozens at a time. It traps them like flypaper. See? The insect is liquefied and it’s started to absorb it.”

“But it remains sustained.”

“Yes. It’ll be healthy and happy now.”

“Interesting choice of words.” They made eye contact and he...didn’t seem the least bothered by her interest in carnivorous plants. Feeling embarrassed, she broke away from his gaze.

“Um...Would you be interested in hearing more about them?” she asked.

“Is this something you enjoy?”

“Quite a lot, actually! I tried to grow some when I was younger, but my mother didn’t let me. I um, grew other flowers instead.”

“Pity. Please do go on.”

“Well, there’s the Venus flytrap, which is the one everyone knows about, and there’s bladderworts, which is similar to these guys right here but they grow underwater, and…” She continued as Hubert listened intently to her every word. It felt nice to let someone in on one of her more peculiar interests.

It also helped that in Bernadetta’s mind, Hubert actually looked quite cute with that aster pin on. 

Perhaps she’d make more flowers for him. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert evaluates his feelings. A Hubert centric chapter.

_5 years ago_

Edelgard von Hresvelg was in Hubert’s opinion, the most beautiful woman in the world. 

Her large, violet eyes saw through everything and pierced through his wretched soul. She was the light to his darkness, the sun to his moon. He could have waxed poetic over her for days, which to him was humiliating in itself. 

_You must learn to love her_ , his father said when he was young. _She will be your everything, as each Hresvelgs are to us Vestras. You are to protect her, to guide her. To make sure she is worthy to guide the lost and the weak._

The way his father described her was near blasphemous, as if she were a goddess walking the earth, but in reality was a bossy and headstrong four year old. 

But that became his life.

At first, he did serve out of duty, but somewhere along the line, it turned into personal devotion. Everything he thought of, he thought of to Edelgard’s benefit. He majored in politics for her. He exceeded in everything if only for her. 

It was only natural that he had completely fallen in love with her.

She was the only person who _saw_ him, who knew him for the person he was. Who accepted all of his flaws and motivated him. That’s why it came as a complete surprise as to why Edelgard was asking him why he wasn’t letting her in. Of course, she meant it in an emotional context. 

They were in Edelgard’s mansion, in her living room, drinking a glass of wine while the fireplace lit up the room, the flames dancing around the wooden logs. It had been a difficult week, but they survived.

“I trust you, Hubert, and that is precisely why I want to know everything, your secret hopes and burdens. All of it. If I'm truly the center of your world, then I wish you would trust me as well as I trust you.” She cupped his cheek.

He had to acquiesce to her. “Very well.” Perhaps it was the time to start taking their relationship to the next level. He wanted to marry her, to make her his shining sun. “There is somebody that I love.”

“Wait a moment. Are you saying you have romantic feelings for someone?”

“Yes. I am saying I have romantic feelings for someone.”

Edelgard lit up, which was the reaction he was hoping for. “Well, that's utter nonsense! You can't possibly keep something so fascinating from me! Who is it?” Now he wasn’t so sure if her reaction was so promising. 

“It is you, Edelgard.” He was so close to her now. 

His eyelids fluttered as he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. 

Her lips were soft to the touch, but she did not kiss him back. 

He pulled back from her. Her face displayed total shock. “Hubert…”

“My apologies, Edelgard. It appears as though my affections have been…” _Unrequited._

_This is utterly mortifying._

Hubert got out of his seat. “Hubert, I love you too…” Her tone was conciliatory. He closed his eyes. “But you’re...you’re more like...I don’t know. But I don’t feel anything romantic towards you. I’m sorry.”

“Forgive me for my intrusion. It won’t happen again.” He felt his heart shattering into a million pieces. He needed to be away from here. Away from Edelgard as soon as possible.

“Hubert…” She wanted to converse about this, but he didn’t want to hear anything else about this topic of conversation. Hubert had felt physical pain in various capacities, but they all paled in comparison to...this. He was nearly incapable of saying no to Edelgard, but this was now the sole exception.

“Excuse me,” he said, setting his glass of wine aside and leaving the Hresvelg residence. 

He needed to be somewhere. Anywhere but here. 

* * *

_Present day_

Hubert hated to admit this, but he was infatuated with Bernie. 

It was pathetic. 

He knew from the first moment he carried her to her bed, he had felt _something_ towards her. But it had only grown in the subsequent days. It wasn’t until she had told him all about her love of carnivorous plants did something _snap_ inside him. 

The feelings bubbling under the surface, these persistent thoughts of Bernie. The way she was so sincere in her every word and action. Even when she was reluctant to talk to him about a subject, he wanted to bring out that earnestness and feed off it. She brought out something in him...something that made him aspire to be just as sincere. 

The fact that he had experienced a prior infatuation with Edelgard made him properly identify what this truly was. 

But that wasn’t what he was supposed to focus on. Not now when he was at work.

“What are you doing?” he told the interns. “None of you are putting in your best effort. Really, was it just Lysithea who was doing all of the work when she was with you lot?” The interns scurried around like headless chickens. 

Hubert pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Useless. 

“Edelgard expects you to do your best. You were handpicked by her for a reason. On with it! ” He had to be strict. Otherwise nothing would get done. 

Hubert’s phone buzzed. He had no longer locked his phone inside his drawer. He wanted to talk to Bernie whenever he could. All the time, if it were possible.

He moved to his office, where no one could see him texting Bernie.

 **I finished my Dorte commission!** She wrote. She sent a picture of a large cream colored horse sitting on her desk. He was positioned next to her bear for scale. The horse was just as big as the bear she had in her room.

**This is for one of your friends, yes?**

**Yep! I’m sorry I couldn’t agree to your commission yet. I just wanted to finish up. This was a big project with really expensive materials.**

**Do not worry. I am a patient man.**

That wasn't a blatant lie per se, but in this aspect, he could wait for Bernie to finish her commissions. It wasn't a life-or-death matter of some sort.

“Hey, you.” Hubert looked up and saw Lysithea von Ordelia staring back at him. “Pfft. You’re on your phone, Mr. No Distractions.” She crossed her arms. “Did you know that they call you Hardass around here?”

“I don’t care what I’m called by these children. They will never ascend to this position.”

“I agree with you there. But if you _really_ wanted to be a hard-ass, you wouldn’t look at your phone like you’ve got stars in your eyes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please. Don’t think I don’t know that expression on your face. Maybe if you show me your phone I’d believe you, but for now I’ll keep this to myself,” she said with a grin on her face. “Anyway, I’m not here to pick on you. There’s been some issues concerning a polling outage and...ugh. Just look at the data yourself, will you?”

“Of course. Now if you’ll excuse me I’d like to finish my message.” 

Lysithea shoved the documents detailing the polling outage in his direction and stomped off. Hubert would have taught her about the decency of respect, but Lysithea had a point regarding his hypocritical actions. And he wanted to give Bernie one last text before leaving.

**Your horse is quite delightful. I’m sure your friend will be satisfied.**

**Thanks!!! ^_^ <3 <3 <3 **

Even her emoticons were adorable. And normally, Hubert hated those. What was he going to do with himself?

*

Bernie had invited Hubert to watch a movie later that day since she wanted to celebrate the completion of a difficult project and Leonie wasn’t around. It wasn’t a weekend, but he couldn’t resist seeing her. He made sure to put on the aster flower she made for him beforehand. 

“Hey Hubert!” she said, allowing him inside. She no longer seemed petrified of him, but he still wanted to be mindful of his actions around her. “I made us some coffee cakes, by the way.”

He bowed to her in gratitude, accepting one. “What film are we watching?”

“I want to give you the choice, actually. Um, here’s three I really like, actually. You don’t watch movies, do you?”

He shook his head and bit into the cake. Hubert stopped in his tracks. The cake was...simply mouthwatering. The sweetness perfectly balancing out with the bitterness. Hubert wasn't much for sweets but these were sublime in their bitterness.

Hubert couldn’t help but wonder what it would taste like if it were paired with the right coffee.

“Is something wrong? You hate my cakes, don’t you? I knew I should have put more--”

Hubert swallowed. “This cake is appetizing, Bernie. It’s quite possibly the best cake I’ve had in...ever. Yes.” Now he understood why she quit working at a “bakery” in one month’s time.

“Oh!” She blushed. “Thanks! Do you want coffee with that?I forgot to ask you.”

“Please. Black, if you will.”

He looked at the movies Bernie offered to watch with him while she prepared his coffee. All of them seemed...unconventional. One was about a woman falling in love with a monster, another was a girl who enters a labyrinth, the third about a pair of newlyweds but the poster seemed quite ominous. They were standing on top of a mountain; within the backdrop stood a crumbling manor and under the newlyweds' feet stood a puddle of blood. Hubert went with the latter option.

Much to his surprise, the movie had darker themes than he imagined. It wasn’t the kind of cinema he expected her--or most people, even-- to enjoy. Bernie made a large bowl of popcorn during the opening scenes of the movie and offered some to him, which he accepted. He was more interested in her cakes, but this would suffice. 

He couldn’t help but wonder if they could do this in the future. If she could recline properly instead of taking up one half of the loveseat sitting in such a rigid, ramrod straight pose. He imagined her body slumped against his. He would hold her, one hand on her hair, stroking it idly as they enjoyed their time together. 

“Ahh!” she said when a ghost appeared in the movie, breaking him away from his thoughts. Some of the popcorn spilled from the bowl. “Sorry! I’ve seen this movie a bunch of times and this scene always gets me.”

He was tempted to ask her if she needed any assistance. Perhaps his hand or his shoulder to help shoulder her fears. But instead, he remained silent.

The main character’s husband, with his growing feelings for her, takes her on an outing in a nearby village where they’re snowed in. They then consummate their marriage. 

Hubert saw Bernie’s face flush while the onscreen couple faces were shown in a deep liplock in the candlelight, the implication of what they were doing evident. “I totally forgot there’s um...scenes like this in the movie. You’re not bothered by it, are you?” 

He shook his head. Usually, romances and silly stories like that put him off, but there was an angle of depravity going on throughout the movie so Hubert did not mind it. 

“I promise that this isn’t like...for show or anything! This director always does these things for a reason.”

Hubert noticed this movie used shading and the darkness and the use of butterflies and moths to invoke symbols for the characters. Not to mention the incestuous twist between the main character’s husband and his muderous sister near the end (that Hubert fully saw coming), resulting in relentless carnage and chaos. It ensured Hubert’s deepening impressions that Bernie was a woman with unconventional tastes with a penchant for the strange and macabre. It certainly made her more appealing in Hubert’s eyes.

“So that was _Scarlet Heights_. It’s a weird movie, but I like it. It’s one of my faves!”

“I enjoyed it myself as well. You have a rather curious taste in things. I’m fascinated.”

“Then maybe we should do this again!”

Hubert was almost tempted to say he could stay for a double feature, but he did not want to overstay his welcome. He got up from the sofa and she followed. “Oh um...let me walk you to your car! It’s the least I can do after inviting you out here.”

They walked out of her house. He lingered just outside her porch. She hovered right at his level as she stood on the second step. “Goodnight, Bernie.”

“Goodnight, Hubert.” 

He tried to leave, but his feet were rooted to the ground. She was so close to him. Just inches away from him. He was surrounded by darkness, his only source of light being Bernie and the light behind her. To him, she looked angelic, a being of the light to his darkness. It was such a cliche thought to have, Hubert wanted to shake his head for his mental platitudes. She gasped, now realizing their close proximity to each other. 

She was so close that he noticed she smelled like sweets, like flowers and freshly baked cakes. He wanted to know what she tasted like. He was desperate. His heart, once thought to be trapped in eternal stillness, began to pound in his chest.

He got closer and closer to her until his lips met hers. Hubert closed his eyes and inhaled, taking her in. She tasted like sweets and something else...something bitter. _The taste of perfection._ His hand stroked her hair, it was silky to the touch, just as he had imagined. Her lips were so soft, Hubert wanted to get lost in her.

His heart beat wildly when she began to reciprocate his kiss, her lips tentative at first, but he graciously welcomed her as he wrapped one arm around her, pulling her even closer to him. He began to feel dizzy, falling completely under her spell.

He wanted to sweep her off her feet, take her upstairs, and…and...

Bernie broke the kiss, her eyes wide in realization. “I...Um...H-Hubert…” She swallowed. Hubert retracted his arm away from her. She appeared terrified. His blood ran cold. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry. I just…” In just seconds, she ran back inside her home, leaving him outside and undone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! I bet you have a lot of thoughts and you are free to scream at me via the comments section. I completely understand.
> 
> Big brownie points if you can identify the films I'm referencing!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta reflects on past events and with help, she moves forward. A Bernadetta centric chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big content warning for this chapter for sexual assault. This is one of the reasons I rated this story M, because Bernadetta's life before living with Leonie was extremely unpleasant.

_23 months ago_

Bernadetta von Varley was not having a good time right now.

Were all families like her family? 

She didn’t know any other life other than the one where she spent all her time locked away inside the Varley estate, like a trapped fairy-tale princess. Except it had gotten to the point where it became out of her own volition. 

She didn’t mind being locked away, no, not as long as she remained in her room. What she minded was living under the same roof as her father. 

Right now, Bernadetta’s hair was brushed to perfection. It was also straightened to the point where not a single hair was out of place. Her mother hired a professional makeup artist and forced her to wear a shimmery sky blue ballgown for the evening. 

Tonight she would be having dinner with her fiancé. 

He was a handsome man, with brown hair and large hazel eyes. But something about him struck Bernadetta as off. Mostly because of the way he would look at her or at other women who were nearby. Bernadetta never understood the phrase “mentally undressing” but now that she saw him, she now understood what that meant. 

It unsettled her. 

“Mother, was this the case with you and Him? Were the two of you arranged as well?” she had asked. Unless he was speaking directly to her, she could never call him “Father”.

“Yes. You are not like other girls, Bernadetta. You must uphold to a standard. House Varley needs connections. Especially since our finances are weakening due to the constant droughts. You need a solid political and financial match. Perhaps someone with enough money to extinguish these fires before they happen.” Bernadetta wondered if such a thing were even possible, but who was she to question it? Her father would laugh in her face and call her stupid for it.

Arranged marriages weren’t really heard of much these days. Bernadetta had done everything she could to try and postpone it, but eventually, she had to graduate from school. It wasn’t until then when her father began pushing her as a prospect to rich men once more.

“It’s a shame that other boy declined our offer. He seemed like a kind young man.”

Bernadetta wouldn’t have minded marrying someone with a gentle disposition, but what was done was done and she needed to prove to her father that she was marriageable. Otherwise...

She followed all of the steps, said all of the right things, even though this man never got to know the true her. She was only an image her parents had crafted to make her likable. It was sickening. 

They would be married in a few days and Bernadetta had resigned herself to her fate. There was nothing she could do, right?

“If I may, I would like to take an evening stroll with Bernadetta and see the gardens,” her fiancé said after dinner.

All eyes were on her father, who held his glass of wine close to his face. Bernadetta couldn’t see any of the malice she knew he was capable of in his eyes. She wondered if his true maliciousness was reflected in the maroon liquid gazing back at him. 

“Of course,” her father said, his tone even and pleasant. _And false._

She would have preferred to say no, but if she acted out here and now, and in front of her father, she would have likely sealed her own fate for the coming days and be chained to her chair until her wedding day, so she held her tongue.

Bernadetta and her fiancé were soon alone in her gardens. But it was better to be with him rather than be in the same room as her father, right? She felt less pressure to perform and be the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, but she still felt...unsettled.

“Beautiful flowers,” he said. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

“Thanks! I grew them myself.” This was probably the first time Bernadetta has told him something genuinely about herself and it was going...decently well? _That was the way to describe this, right?_

He walked ahead of her, placing himself right in front of her, blocking her path. She felt uncomfortable again.

“How lovely. You’re quite lovely, Bernadetta,” he said. His hand cupped her cheek. His tone and the feel on his hand on her face made Bernadetta shudder. She could smell the wine from his breath. _Is he drunk?_ There was no way she could tell, she wasn't paying enough attention to how much he drank during dinner.

Bernadetta pulled herself away from him. “I’m s-sorry, but I’m not comfortable r-right now.”

“Shh, it’s okay, don’t be afraid of me,” he said. “I bet you’re ripe. You must be if your family is so willing to give you away. I can’t wait.” His arm was around her waist. His other arm stroked her cheek and it lowered, lowered...

Feeling nauseated, she loosened herself from his grip. He grabbed her by the wrist. Her entire body began to break out in cold sweat from the roughness of his actions. “Please s-stop!”

“If you’ll allow me, I’d like to taste you. See just how ripe you are.” 

“No! Please!” He pressed his mouth to hers as she yelled in protest. Her first kiss, wasted. He grabbed onto her, both arms trapping her. 

He pressed himself against her again, this time, she felt his entire body against hers. He had grabbed her so hard, she knew she’d bruise from the force of his fingers digging into her skin, keeping her in place. Only her father managed to grab her to this degree. Bernadetta wanted to vomit at the realization. 

“I said _‘no’_!” She kneeled him in the groin and left running. 

She didn’t care if she seemed like a raving lunatic, she _had_ to go back to her safe haven. 

Except she couldn’t make it. 

She ran to the bathroom, where she was forced to empty out the contents of her stomach. Bernadetta lay on the floor, hugging the toilet. Her dress was all over the floor, gathering up dust and dirt. 

She wanted it off. 

She wanted to take off and leave this place forever. 

_You can’t do this, Bernie. You can’t go through with this wedding._

_He’s going to be just as bad as…_

Bernadetta’s hands grazed over where her fiancé grabbed her. It hurt, causing her to wince. His touch was still ingrained and she shivered. She saw herself in the mirror. She wiped her mouth and brushed her teeth, hoping to get the taste of vomit and the taste of her fiancé out of her mouth. 

She already had to contend with her father for so long she couldn’t do this. Not again and not for the rest of her life. It didn’t matter how rich he was, or how influential or handsome he was. 

If Bernadetta wanted to marry or be with someone, she would have to be with someone who treated her right. Someone who loved her. And if her father was right and she was unmarriageable and would never find someone who felt that way about her, then so be it. 

_Better to live all by yourself in your room than contend with a lifetime of subjugation._

* * *

_Present Day_

When Hubert kissed her, Bernadetta felt shocked in too many ways to count, she couldn’t even process what happened until hours later.

Hubert...kissed...her. 

On the mouth. 

He was gentle, though. She tried to conjure up memories of the kiss, the way he stroked her hair, the way he embraced her, pulling her into the kiss. She didn’t expect that kind of romantic behavior from him of all people, especially towards her. 

Which led her to the bigger question: why?

Why did he kiss her? 

Why did she kiss him back?

It was actually a really good kiss, especially since she focused on the fact that her first kiss was so forceful and rough and disgusting and this one felt...genuine, especially on his part. In that way, it made her heart race. However...

She barely knew Hubert. In fact, she was just recovering from her fear of him. 

And that led to an even bigger question: was she into him? Her feelings for him were definitely platonic, she at least knew that, but she never once considered he was romantically attracted to her so the thought never arose. 

But now she was able to discern one thing from that for certain: He was attracted to her, which was a revelation in itself.

Well...he was attracted to her at least for now, anyway. She couldn't figure out _why_ he was attracted to her. _I’m not pretty or smart or sexy or someone worth talking to. I’m too ugly, too awkward, too weird, too quiet and reclusive..._

She remembered the lies her parents told the families of potential suitors about her and the heavy makeup they’d slather her with whenever she had to meet them for the first time. Bernadetta couldn’t understand for the life of her _why_ Hubert was feeling any kind of attraction towards her. Except...except...

Could her mother be right? That men only existed to bed a woman and then move on with their lives and onto the next one. Perhaps he sensed the fact that she had no experience with men and wanted her simply because of that. Her ex-fiancé had used a single word to describe her. Ripe. 

Did Hubert see her that way as well?

She scrolled through their messages. 

**I’d like to know more about carnivorous plants.** He sent her that message the night after their visit to the botanical gardens. It was late at night and even though she was a night owl, she was constantly worried if she was depriving him of sleep.

**You can always read about them on the internet or in a book. Why me?**

**Because I’d rather hear it from you. Tell me...are there any man-eating plants?**

She remembered she laughed at his question. **Oh! Like the one in that play?**

**I do not know what you speak of. You mean to say there is one?**

**No, there’s a really popular play with it. I’ve only seen it on the internet, though :( but it’s about a man who buys a butterwort plant for his love interest but it turns out to be man eating! In some versions of the play everyone gets eaten! But to answer your question, in reality, no. Sorry, Hubert!**

**How unfortunate.**

**Why? Do you want to throw me in there? (・o・)**

**Never. I was just curious.**

**Haha good! It IS possible for some to eat mammals, though, like mice and rats. They get trapped and drown. If you don’t like mice then I guess it’s not a bad thing.**

**Would be a way to eliminate household pests. But my apartment does not have that infestation. Thank you for the information, Bernie. I so deeply enjoy your devotion and expertise on the subject. It is quite a shame others have told you to hide your passions.**

**Do you really enjoy them!? You don’t think they’re too weird or creepy?**

**Are you aware as to who you are talking to?**

**Fair enough, Hubert!!! ◉‿◉**

She found herself smiling as she re-read the text messages.

That didn’t sound like someone who would see her as an object or would intentionally hurt her. He seemed as though he legitimately wanted her companionship. And she wanted him to be her friend, too.

Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing. 

Bernadetta was so confused. 

Her confusion wore on and bled into the next day. 

Bernadetta was at a loss with herself now and Hubert wasn’t messaging her. Was he too embarrassed to message her? Was he waiting for her to do it? Was their friendship over now?

And worse yet, today was classes with Leonie and girl’s night out after. 

Leonie had been less of a presence lately, citing her pursuit of Pallardó as the reason why and Bernadetta understood. She was determined to catch him and earn her bounty. It would give them at least a year’s rent if they did. But Leonie actually had student loan debt so she probably would want to spend her earnings on that. 

Leonie was the one person Bernadetta undoubtedly felt comfortable about recounting this whole incident, but Leonie wasn’t exactly the best person to consult on this issue, not to mention she feared that she would track down Hubert and give him a piece of her mind, which was the last thing she wanted.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Bernadetta got ready for the evening and grabbed the Dorte plush with her, since this was the most convenient way to meet Marianne.

“Oh! Is that my commission?” Marianne said when she spotted her at the gym’s entrance. Her eyes were wide, displaying a quiet, yet pleasant shock.

Bernadetta nodded. 

Marianne laced her hands together and smiled. “How lovely! Dorte will love his birthday present! Thank you, Bernie!” She took the large plushie, hugged it, and handed Bernadetta the rest of what she owed her. Even Marianne’s generous payment wasn’t enough to bolster Bernadetta’s spirits.

“What’s up, Bernie? You’re totally off today,” Leonie said when they went out to their usual after class ice cream session.. “Is it because I haven’t been home lately?”

Bernadetta shook her head. 

“She’s not the only one whose’s totally out of it,” Hilda said, pointing in Lysithea’s direction. She was unusually quiet. Lysithea was usually eating her ice cream with enthusiasm but tonight, she simply gazed at her cone. The one person with the highest spirits was Marianne of all people, who was hugging the horse plushie and smiling one of her rare genuine smiles throughout the night. Bernadetta noticed every guy in the parameter had taken notice of Marianne.

“What’s up with you today, Lysithea?” Leonie asked. 

“Ugh, work was terrible today! My boss was being such a hard-ass today. I mean, we nicknamed him Hardass but ugh, that man makes me want to pull my hair out! He's usually really strict and I get it, but today he was _insufferable_ ! I had to tell his boss to keep him under control because he’s just so _mean_ sometimes. Like, to him, our work is never enough, even if we give it our all. And then he asks us why we’re here, which is just so rude to say! It’s just all so exhausting! I think I need _two_ of these today! With extra chocolate syrup, too!”

“And Cyril can’t help you...relax?” Hilda asked. 

“He and I both know ice cream soothes my soul. Sweet, delicious ice cream. The nectar of the gods.”

“Bernie…” Hilda said, her eyes falling on her. “I know you’re the newest addition to our group, but you can always talk to us about anything! We’ve taken you in as one of our own! Right, Marianne?”

“Yes! Of course!” she said, her voice audibly excitable. "We all like you, Bernie!" 

“At first I thought ‘ugh, another Marianne’ but you’re actually kind of cool,” Lysithea said. Bernadetta wasn’t sure if that was what was called a backhanded compliment or not but Lysithea wasn’t exactly eloquent with her words, not to mention, her tired and agitated disposition wasn’t helping matters..

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hilda said, her tone sounding dangerously close to annoyed.

Lysithea shrugged. Her mood was still visibly dark. Bernadetta had never seen Hilda look even slightly less than bubbly and it seemed she decided to ignore Lysithea's snide comment, lest everyone's collective mood would falter.

“But like I said, Bernie. Sometimes, you just gotta let it out. We won’t judge you. Promise!”

Bernadetta watched the girls, all of them looking straight at her. She felt overwhelmed at the sight of four pairs of eyes on her. She stared into her half eaten chocolate caramel ice cream. “Um...promise not to tell?”

“Who on earth are we going to tell?” Lysithea said. 

“Um, okay! My um...client and I, we’ve been messaging.”

“Ooo was that the same one you've been sneaking texts to?” Hilda asked. “Don’t think I forgot about that!”

Bernadetta hid inside her hoodie and nodded. 

“Ha! I knew it!” Hilda sounded proud of her guesswork. Too proud, actually.

“He um...kissed me.” 

Even though Bernadetta said that in the barest of whispers, it was enough to invoke a big reaction from the group. But nothing bigger than Leonie who let out a giant profanity that caused people to stare. “I did not see _that_ one coming.”

“How was it? Was he a good kisser?” Hilda asked. 

“Hilda…” Marianne said. “Bernie is, um...distressed, I believe.”

Bernadetta felt her face heating up. She was certain she’d melt the rest of her ice cream. “I mean, um...It was a nice kiss.”

“Nice? That sounds...paltry.”

“No! I mean, I enjoyed it, it’s just...”

“Listen,” Leonie said, “I never in a million years thought that guy would even look twice at Bernie. He’s one of those super serious business types. He didn’t hurt you, did he? I can track him down and give him a beating he won’t forget.” She pounded her hand against her palm.

“No! He was nice and gentle! It was a very good kiss! Please don't hurt him!”

“So what’s the problem?” Hilda asked. 

“I’m...It’s complicated. We met not too long ago and like...I don’t know if I have feelings for him in that way. I thought maybe we could be friends, but...I didn’t really think he um, liked me in that way. I was blindsided by it.”

“I know a potential solution to your problem, and that’s called dating!” Hilda said. “I mean, if he likes you and you seem like you could probably _maybe_ like him, too, then you should totally see if you two are compatible with each other. It seems like he’s probably too socially awkward to understand that. And so are you, Bernie, but you know what? You have us!”

“You mean you,” Lysithea said. “We’re all kind of a mess.”

“Oh please, Lysithea, don’t speak as though you don’t know how to get a boyfriend. Sometimes I really don’t know why all of you just don’t give yourselves credit.” Hilda turned back in Bernadetta’s direction. “You have to talk to him and be honest. Or as honest as you can be, since this is kind of a new development. Nothing will be gained if you just sit around and mope. And he’s probably sitting around and moping too.”

Bernadetta wondered what Hubert was doing right now. It hurt to not message him. “Thanks, Hilda.” She still didn’t know what to do about him, especially since Lysithea was also moping during their outing. 

Hilda had pulled her aside later that evening. “Bernie. It looks like you really need my help. Give me your number. I want to make sure you’ll be okay through all of this. You’re kind of like the other girls, like boys aren’t really on the forefront of your mind.”

_Yes, but that’s not it._ She couldn’t just tell them that she was engaged almost two years ago and left her fiancé practically standing at the altar a few days before the wedding. She also couldn’t mention the way he forced himself on her, the way he kissed her and pushed his body against hers. She pushed those thoughts away. She would never see that man again. Not if she could help it.

“What should I do next?”

“Reach out to him. Tell him, _in person_ , by the way, about your feelings and how confused you are. If you’re open to dating him, let him know. If you want to remain friends or end the friendship, well, let him know!”

Bernadetta pulled out her phone. 

“You don’t have to do it now, but definitely put down my number if you need my help. My advice is to do it soon...hmm, about a day or two should do. Maybe tomorrow!”

Bernadetta nodded. “Um, okay. I’ll message him tomorrow.”

“You’ll be fine, Bernie! I know you will!”

She laughed awkwardly. “I guess! But I wouldn’t mind dating him. That is, if he wants to.”

“I wish you all the luck, Bernie!” Hilda smiled at her and gave her a hug. She wasn't used to getting hugs, but Hilda felt so nice and she smelled like rose petals. It felt good to have a friend who wanted to help her out.

“M-me, too,” she said, tittering awkwardly as she embraced Hilda back. 

She certainly hoped luck would be on her side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you can guess the play Bernie references in this chapter! And the plant-character in question is actually partially based on a butterwort!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta talk about what happened and move forward. A Hubert centric chapter.

Hubert was in a dour mood. 

He knew he shouldn’t have done that. Pulling Bernie into that kiss was disgusting behavior on his part and completely unwarranted. He had done that exact thing to Edelgard and now he did that to Bernie. Did he not learn from his mistakes?

“It may be Friday, but this does not mean you are at your leisure,” he told some of the workers, his arms crossed. The interns, interestingly, were pulling their weight. Perhaps after the stern lectures they had gotten yesterday from him, they focused and shifted into gear, giving him the output he wanted to see. But it seemed as though not all of the teams got the memo. If there was anything Hubert despised, it was laziness. “Get to work. Show Edelgard your competency and why she hired you.”

“You’re certainly running a tight ship, Hubert,” Edelgard said, creeping up beside him, her face stoic, but Hubert knew she was wearing an expression of disappointment. She was accompanied by Lysithea, who also wore a sour expression on her face. 

“The numbers don’t lie. We need to prove that your team is strong and efficient. A strong team will help you go far, Edelgard.”

“Not if you’re working them to death,” Lysithea said. 

“I agree with Lysithea here. Hubert, I appreciate everything you do, but we just finished an important deadline. It won’t be a good idea if we push _my_ staff like this.”

“Do you not remember the meeting with had with Dimitri? Do you want to anger him again? The man is utterly reckless when he is angry. It’s important for everyone that we remain efficient at all times. I will not tolerate any laziness or expect anything less from our team."

“I’m aware of the fact,” Edelgard said. “But—”

“She’s telling you to chill out!” Lysithea blurted out.

“For lack of a better phrase, well...yes. There's such a thing called being too strict. I would rather have a slower paced team than one with no morale.”

He glanced at Lysithea, who was watching her coworkers. They were working diligently, but Hubert knew they were all listening in on their conversation. Perhaps he had taken out too much of his irritability on her and the rest of Edelgard's employees. It wasn't fair to subject other people to the consequences of the mistakes he made outside his job. He would have to contend with his poor mood outside of work. 

Hubert felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

It didn’t vibrate anymore these days. Not since he kissed Bernie and she left him standing. He was too...Scared wasn’t the wrong word to use, exactly, but... He wanted to give her space, but he also understood if she never wanted to be in his presence again. It was a dreadful feeling to have.

“Excuse me, but I require a coffee break right now. I will consider your words, Edelgard, thank you,” he said, ignoring the fact that Edelgard and Lysithea exchanged glances at his abrupt exit.

It was her. 

**Hubert, I know you’re probably at work but I really want to talk to you.**

He did not hesitate to call her. She picked up on the second ring.

“H-hey,” she said, her voice shaky.

“Good afternoon, Bernie.”

“I, um...I…” She sounded so nervous. Normally, Hubert would have thought it endearing, but he was feeling a similar way. 

“How has your afternoon gone so far?” He didn’t mean to say it as a pleasantry but it was a way to fill the awkward void of silence between them.

“Um, okay! I just really, um...it sounds really mean saying ‘we need to talk’. It was a thing my mother always said to me when I was growing up, and...and...it was scary.”

“But we do need to talk,” he said.

“Yes! I don’t know where we can talk. But I do want to! Talk, I mean.”

“Perhaps we can visit the botanical gardens once more?” It was the only place that came to mind.

“Um, okay. I’ll um, get ready. What time will you pick me up?” 

“Soon. In about two hours or so.”

“See you then!”

They had hung up. Now all he had to do was endure this final hour of work. Perhaps it would do to apologize to Edelgard, Lysithea, and the other staffers beforehand.

He walked into the main room, where Edelgard and the others stood. At the sight of him, he saw the workers rush to their stations, and those that already were working became even more absorbed in their task. Hubert knew he was strict, but perhaps Edelgard and Lysithea were right. He had gone too far. 

He cleared his throat. All eyes were on him. Hubert tried not to cower at the prospect of having so many eyes on him, but he had brought this upon himself. “Er...I’d like to…” He struggled with his words. _Out with it!_ “Er...My sincerest apologies for being overtly strict to all of you.” He was certain the words had come out incorrectly. “I believe in Edelgard’s vision, and as her Chief of Staff, and er, her friend, I believe…” He scoffed. This was too much for him. “Please accept my apologies for being too daunting. I can’t say it won’t happen again when we're close to the election, but my actions as of recent were unnecessary. Enjoy the rest of the day, and weekend, to that effect.” He scrambled to get the rest of the words out. 

He was met by total silence.

 _That’s it._ He anticlimactically walked out of the room and into his office. He had less than an hour left of his workweek. It was best for him to distract himself with his work until it was time to clock out. And then he would have to face Bernie and whatever she had on her mind. 

* * *

The car ride was silent. Painfully so. 

Bernie didn’t turn on the radio to classical music so instead they were subjected to the noises made whenever Hubert used the turn signal. He stole glances at her whenever he was at a red light and she was pensive, unnoticed by the fact that he was watching her, or that he had put the embroidered flower on.

Hubert was the first to speak when he parked the car in front of the gardens. “I deeply apologize for my actions,” he said, not leaving the car. Neither did she. 

Bernie remained silent. 

“What I did was most unbecoming and unacceptable.”

“I don’t know why you kissed me,” she said.

To Hubert, there were plenty of reasons why he kissed her. He was so attracted to her he could barely restrain it. He found her eccentricities utterly captivating and found depth in conversing with her. She got to witness and bring out a side of him he did not realize even existed. Something dormant within him. A side that was capable of feelings and emotional depth. But he couldn’t find it in himself to say the words. Rather, he found the worst possible thing to say. “Because I wanted to.”

“Y-you don’t want to get involved with me,” she said. 

“And why is that?”

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Hubert wanted to press her on the subject, but he knew that doing that would only steer her away even farther. At least he knew not to do _that_. “Because I’m no good.”

“I disagree. Strongly so.”

“I never once thought you um...felt that way towards me. It threw me off, to say the least,” she said, turning to him. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this but I don’t um, have those kinds of feelings for you, at least not now.”

Hubert felt himself deflate at her words. He felt flat now and utterly ruined. “It doesn’t matter what I want to hear.” He knew he wasn’t worthy to be in this girl’s presence and he messed it all up. They could have been friends and he messed it all up. Perhaps maybe something could have actually resulted from their interactions, but _he messed it all up._

“No, I mean...It’s not that! I’ve known you for barely over a month, Hubert. I didn’t have time to process any of this.”

He was moving too quickly with her. That was the problem at its core. He allowed his impatience to get the best of him. Even now, it was screaming inside of him, but he ignored it while she continued.

“But at the same time, um, my friend says that um, dating helps? But I’m not really worth knowing.”

Hubert had heard of dating. It sounded like something desperate, pathetic people did whenever they were lonely. At least that was his perception of it from what Edelgard’s staffers described during their imbecilic water cooler talks. But right now, he cared for none of that. He only cared about what was right in front of him. “I would most certainly like to get to know you better.”

“I do, too, Hubert, if I’m being honest.”

This wasn’t a terrible outcome by any means. He was expecting her to say something like she never wanted to see or hear from him again. In fact, this was very much the best possible outcome from this entire debacle.

“Is this what you want to do? You would like to attempt this so-called dating?”

“Yes, I think it’s worth a shot.” she said. “I’m certain. I just...I would like to take it slow, though.”

“Noted. I will never disrespect your boundaries again, Bernie. You have my word.” He watched her nod in what looked like relief. He was feeling grateful she was willing to still give him a chance. “If I may, I would much rather enjoy the gardens with you again than stay inside this car. Unless you would prefer to go somewhere else.”

“No, I like it here. I like plants and gardening.” 

Hubert quickly got out of the car to hold the door open for her. She went completely red at the gesture. 

“You...you don’t have to do that, Hubert!”

“I would greatly enjoy showing you courtesy and respect, Bernie.”

“I know...but it’s embarrassing!”

“I can stop, if it’s too much for you.”

“Please.”

“Of course.” Now he felt himself growing flustered. He turned away from her to hide his increasingly red face. What was it about this girl that made him feel this way? “Would you like to observe the butterworts again? Perhaps more prey has been caught.”

They began to walk together through the gardens. Bernie walked a little closer to him, close enough to touch. Hubert was greatly tempted to find her hand and hold it, but he restrained himself. She was the one who set the terms and he would gladly adhere to them. He would wait for her to find his hand. He hoped she would eventually allow it. 

_A stupid thing to think of, relying on such trivialities such as the concept of hope._

Bernie’s gasp lifted his thoughts away. His gaze fell to what she was looking at.

Indeed more prey had been caught by the butterwort plant. 

“It’s feeding!” she said. 

“What was it that you said? The plant is now healthy and...happy, was it?”

Bernadetta giggled, but her smile was sincere. She looked positively radiant. “Those words coming from you...it’s kinda funny.” Her eyes fell on her embroidered flower. Hubert was waiting for her to notice. “You’re still wearing my flower!”

“Of course. I did say it was quite lovely, after all.”

“Oh. Thanks!”

She flashed him a smile. Hubert couldn’t remember if she had ever given him a smile. A genuine, sincere smile. His heart began beating at a rapid pace and he felt himself growing hot under his suit. 

Two conflicting thoughts began to arise inside of him. On one hand, he was frustrated as to just how far gone he was for this girl and how difficult it would be to deal with his impatience, which had already gotten the best of him. But on the other, her smile was enough to give him the light he needed to keep going. It would take a while to win her hand, but Hubert had now known that she’d be worth it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hubert is too awkward sometimes, jfc. 
> 
> Where do you think their first date will be? The only hint I can give is that it's been foreshadowed in the text.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta go on their first date.

Hubert honestly had no idea how this whole dating thing worked. 

In his near thirty years of life, he never even considered the possibility of going on a date with another person, but here he was in his office, looking for different ways to impress a girl he was completely smitten with. 

He did a search of how to impress on a first date. The answers were varying and inconsistent. 

“‘Make sure you have a fun, carefree attitude’,” he read out loud, scoffing. Fun and carefree were the last words Hubert would use to describe himself. If he even  _ tried _ to show such a disposition at any given time, he’d surely scare just about anyone away.

“What’s this about being fun and carefree? Don’t tell me you’re trying to one eighty,” Lysithea said at his doorway. “I think you’ll scare everyone out of the office if you do.” She was correct but Hubert couldn’t help but give her a sardonic gaze.

“Must you always eavesdrop on me?”

“Well, if I must be honest, you’ve been easier to deal with as of recent.”

Hubert stared at Lysithea, the wheels in his head turning.  _ Lysithea is the only person I know of in a committed relationship. Perhaps... _ The downside is that he could only take her in small doses. But she was a woman and a certified genius at that. She could give him some solid advice and tips. 

“Um...Hubert? Why are you looking at me with that grin of yours? I’m starting to think it’s nothing good.”

“Come in and close the door,” he said. “I need to discuss something...personal with you.”

Lysithea’s eyes widened. “Um, Hubert?”

“Do as I say, will you?”

Lysithea closed the door and took a seat in front of Hubert. “What is it?”

“Whatever that’s said in this room doesn’t leave. This means that you  _ cannot _ tell anyone. Or else.”

She crossed her arms. “What about Edelgard?”

He wasn’t sure how he’d tell Edelgard he had agreed to start dating someone or how she’d even react to it. Or the fact that he had spent most of his free time (and occasionally work time) fervently messaging someone he was attracted to. It wouldn’t be the first—or the worst— thing he’d kept from her.

“I will tell her on my own time.” Hubert crossed his legs, resolving to himself that he would tell her soon enough. He knew once Edelgard knew, she’d instantly want to meet Bernie and it was far too soon for that to happen. “Tell me, Lysithea, you’ve been in a committed relationship for how long now?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Four years.”

Hubert nodded. He took a deep breath. “I have a...There’s a woman, yes. A woman.” He didn’t know how to vocalize this. 

“Oh goodness! You’re telling me you’re with someone! That explains everything! Is that why you’ve been so moody and grumpy lately? It is, isn’t it?” She let out one last gasp as he shook his head. She was right, unfortunately. “That’s totally it!”

Her tone was too loud for Hubert’s liking. “Be quiet, Lysithea. I’ve told you enough already.”

She pointed at him. “Hardass Hubert found himself a girlfriend,” she said, trying and failing to conceal a smile.

“I knew telling you would be a problem, but I require your expertise, Lysithea.”

Lysithea folded her hands. “Well...What would you like to know?”

“How does this dating thing work? And no snide comments, please.”

“You’ve never dated?”

“No. I’ve no need for it. Until now, that is.”

“You must really like this girl! Hmm…” 

“Describe your first date with your significant other to me.”

“Cyril and I went to a bookstore. We read books together and then bought them so we could keep reading. To be fair, though, Cyril and I were friends for years. He already knew that a bookstore date would have made me bap—er, happy.”

“I see. I have only known...this woman for not nearly as long, but I am deeply interested in getting to know her.”

“My best advice is to focus on making her happy. Don’t push her and don’t push anything if she doesn’t want it. Most of all, don’t be bossy or mean or impatient. Treat her the way you think she wants to be treated and what she deserves. Oh! And don’t read anymore articles on the internet. They’re just useless! You’re better off coming to me.”

Lysithea flipped her hair. “Oh! When you first see her, make sure you give her flowers! Give her some lilies! Oh, and some chocolates, too! Every girl loves chocolates. And make sure to be honest with her. Give her compliments!”

Hubert nodded. “Noted. Is there anything else you wish to contribute?”

Lysithea shook her head. “You can always text me if you have any questions. Surely, you won’t mind my expertise.”

“Quite. You’ve been helpful, Lysithea. You may go.” 

Lysithea left his office and Hubert began to look up personalized chocolate services. It would be a place to start.

* * *

Bernadetta was pacing and pacing and pacing across her room when her phone vibrated. She wondered if it was unprofessional to date her own client but she wasn’t sure how the tailoring world worked. Not to mention, she was a freelancer. It was probably fine. 

She was dressed in a new deep purple dress she bought from a nearby boutique and a golden necklace.

Hubert told her he was taking her to a restaurant in the downtown area for dinner. He had given her the address information and it was, much to Bernadetta’s horror, a five star restaurant with a four point eight out of five star ratings. 

**I’m on my way.**

**Okay! See you then! ^_^**

Her messages were calm and cute but Bernadetta herself was not. 

She recalled her trip to the boutique with Hilda yesterday. 

“Thanks for coming!” she told Hilda. 

“You look like you’re about to run a sprint! What’s up?”

She showed Hilda the restaurant’s profile on her phone. “I don’t think I can do this, Hilda.”

Hilda’s hand rose to her mouth. “My, that’s fancy. Really fancy.”

“Eep.”

“Relax, Bernie. If you want, you can always tell him it’s too much for you. Then he can pick somewhere else. Besides, he looks as though he really wants to treat you well. It’s kind of sweet, actually. It’s up to you.”

Bernadetta shook her head. “I need to face my fears.” She swallowed. “Um, also, Hubert’s put a lot of effort into this date.”

Hilda played with a tendril of her hair. She curled it with a finger. “If that’s what you want! But you’re going to have to look and dress the part. That’s why you have me!”

Everything she was wearing was thanks to Hilda’s help. Her purple dress, her necklace (which was on loan from Hilda’s accessory stash), her black ballet flats, and her makeup. 

She kept pacing around her room and eventually decided to go downstairs. 

Leonie wasn’t there, as usual, so she decided to drink a glass of water to calm down. She wrote to Hilda.

**He’s on his way. I’m a little nervous.**

Hilda responded a lot quicker than she anticipated.  **You’ll be fine! Just be yourself.**

She wanted to feel comforted by that, but Bernadetta felt that by being herself, she’d ruin this date. She genuinely wanted to get to know Hubert and see where this led. What this could be.

Not to mention, when he quoted her earlier comment from days before in the gardens about the butterwort being happy and healthy, her heart began to beat a little faster. He cared about the plants. Her favorite plants. The same plants her mother told her not to tell anyone about lest they’d cast her aside. But not Hubert.

Her gut was telling her this—all of this— was the right choice to make.

Her phone buzzed again. The message was from Hilda.  **Don’t worry about this date. Dates aren’t really high stakes or anything. It’s not like you have to kiss him or even have sex with him. Unless you want to! That’s your choice, I won’t judge! Relax, okay?**

Bernadetta was glad she was alone because she went red.

Even though she had an admittedly good kiss with him, the topic of sex didn’t even occur to her in this setting. Besides, she was taught not to even consider that until she was married. Not that her fiance would have cared.  _ Why am I thinking of that now?  _ She purged the thoughts away.

But there was nothing she could say in reply to the text. Other than:  **Thanks, Hilda. That’s really encouraging!**

**You’re really pretty, Bernie, and he already likes you. You’ll be fine!**

She was pretty certain she could easily ruin that. 

There was a knock on her door and Bernadetta took a deep breath at seeing Hubert’s telltale tall and lean silhouette standing at her doorway. 

She opened the door and was met with Hubert’s severe face. She could have sworn he had a slight pink tinge to his cheeks before he bowed in her direction. “Good evening,” he said. She noticed the items in his hands. “I brought you gifts,” he said, holding up a bouquet of lilies and a box of chocolates in her direction. They were a little too close to her face. She took a step back.

_ That’s unexpected.  _

“Um, thanks!” she said, accepting them. 

“I did not know your favorite chocolates so I attempted to assemble every type I could think of. Please feel free to inform me of your preferences,” he said. 

Bernadetta was actually quite touched by the sentiment, even though his words were parse and lacking. But still, it was the thought that mattered, and like Hilda said, he was putting every effort into this date. 

“I’m not one for compliments, but that dress looks quite lovely on you.”

This was the first time she saw that he wasn’t wearing a suit, but rather a black long coat made of wool and a white dress shirt underneath. He still wore a black tie. She spotted the aster flower pinned on the collar this time. It made her smile. 

“So do you! Um, I mean, you look good too, Hubert. Um...I’m gonna go and put these away. Be right back!” She ran off, collected her purse, and tucked her phone inside. She quickly typed a message to Hilda. 

**He’s here!**

She typed back instantly.  **Good luck! You’ve got this!**

Bernadetta reunited with Hubert, who was still standing at her front door. She wondered if she should have invited him inside, but he probably reserved their seats, anyway. 

The car ride was silent, except for the dulcet melody of a piano playing music. It calmed her down, somewhat.

“How’s your day been?” she asked him. 

“Nothing different than the usual,” he said. “I must admit I’ve spent the day in anticipation for this occasion.”

“M-me too,” she said, trying not to hyperanalyze what he was trying to say. She couldn’t help it anyway. What was he anticipating, exactly? Was he just as nervous about this? Was he hoping for something else? A kiss? Sex? Bernadetta tensed and shifted in her seat.  _ Oh no why did I think that? _

“Is something the matter?” he asked. 

“Nope. Bernie’s doing just fine!” Hubert eyed her skeptically. “Promise!”

Bernadetta calmed down when they reached the downtown area. She didn’t know it was this pretty, especially at this time of day, during twilight. The sky was painted in various hues of violet, blue, and pink. It was something worth drawing whenever she’d have the time. “Whoa.”

“Enbarr is quite magnificent during this time of day,” Hubert said. 

“The city lights and the glowing light of the sky...wow.” Sometimes the world was so pretty that she would regret not coming out to see the beautiful things like this. This was one of the moments where she wanted to live in the moment.

“The dying light suits this skyline,” he said. 

Bernadetta pursed her lips. “Yeah the light’s dying, but it’ll return another day.”

She could see Hubert eyeing her. “I suppose you’re correct in that sense.”

A valet had taken Hubert’s car and he escorted her inside the restaurant, a dimly lit venue filled with round tables. It certainly had a very intimate setting, not that Bernadetta hadn’t known thanks to the image searches she had conducted. 

They were seated near a corner.

Bernadetta stared at the menu intently as the waiter gave them their drinks and bread. Bernadetta saw one of her favorite meals was listed on the menu and quickly decided on what she knew she liked, but she didn’t dare put down her menu. 

“Have you decided on your order yet?” Hubert asked her. 

“Um...um...yes, I think?” She didn’t want to lie to him. She almost did that with him with the butterworts and she felt terrible afterwards. “The Two-Fish Saute um...I like that dish,” she said. 

“I like few dishes myself, but I am inclined to order the same,” he said. 

They ordered their dishes minutes later and Bernadetta sat there, her head blank. Well, not exactly. She couldn’t help but notice that Hubert looked less intimidating in the dim light and more...easy to look at? She struggled to find the proper term to describe him right now.

“I have been wondering,” he said. “Are you from Enbarr?”

She shook her head. “I’m actually from near the mountains up north.” She didn’t want to tell him about her familiar circumstances. She wanted to remain Bernie Bear for as long as she could, hidden from her family. From her father. All traces of Bernadetta von Varley were gone. 

“What brought you here?”

She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know, actually. I just knew I wanted to be here.” Bernadetta continued. “I mean, I thought...maybe I could um, start having dreams here. See where I could end up. It hasn’t been easy, to say the least, but I’m happy here. Um, yeah.”

“Is that when you opened your store?”

“Actually, I’ve had it for a few years now. It used to be mostly for art and sometimes writing. Um, digital art, and people would pay me online and stuff. It was a way for me to make money on the side. But I also really enjoy making clothes and plushies and all sorts of things with my hands,” she said, not even realizing she was thinking it. Just speaking fluidly. “Um, what about you, Hubert?”

“Well, there’s not much to say. I was born here in Enbarr. Studied with Edelgard, then studied politics and the like. Now I’m here, with you.”

“You said you knew her your whole life, didn’t you?”

Hubert nodded, his face pensive. “Indeed.”

The waiter interrupted their conversation by handing them their salads. 

Bernadetta stared at what was supposed to be her salad. But really it was a giant stalk of lettuce with dressing poured at the very top. There were croutons on the side.  _ Um...Okay… _

Hubert simply bat an eye at the salad, not even touching it. She tried to cut the lettuce with a knife, but the knife was too weak for the vegetable. The dressing fell everywhere, including her dress. 

“Oh no...I give up,” she said after only one bite. She was focused on dabbing the dressing off her dress, but she was sure the smell would stay. It was her fault. She didn’t know how to use a knife properly. This wouldn’t have happened if she bothered to pay attention to her mother growing up in her etiquette classes instead of locking herself in her room, engaging in her hobbies.

“If I may, I can help you, Bernie. I have no intention of eating my own.”

“It’s too much effort. It’s um...not worth it.”

“Are you certain?”

“I don’t go out often, but aren’t salads supposed to be...they don’t look like this, I think...Do they?”

Hubert chuckled. “They don’t. I believe this restaurant may be quite the facade, upon further inspection of our plates and the dishes I’m seeing at other tables. It’s all pretentiousness.”

Bernadetta set the plate aside and nibbled on a crouton. It actually tasted quite delicious, but it was heavily coated with garlic. Wasn’t eating garlic a bad thing to eat on dates? She couldn’t remember.

“I...um, the crouton’s not bad. And neither is the bread,” she said, nibbling the fluffy bread. 

“How droll,” he said dripping with sarcasm, taking a sip of water. “I’m beginning to think this was all a mistake.”

Her eyes widened. Of course it was a mistake. She warned him. The idea of getting to know her was not a very good one. She wasn’t worth knowing, yet she had this semblance that maybe she was. But of course she wasn’t. “Sorry. Do you want to leave and drop me home? We can forget this ever happened.” 

“What are you talking about?” he asked. 

“You think this is going badly! I understand if you never want to see me again!”

Hubert closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, I was talking about the ambiance of this establishment. So far I am not impressed by their offerings, but they specialize in seafood so perhaps it is too soon to speak of anything. I was absolutely not referring to your companionship.”

“You weren’t?”

“Not at all.” He sipped on his water. “Perhaps I should have clarified. My apologies for that. If I hadn’t enjoyed your companionship, neither of us would be here right now, would we?”

Bernadetta nodded weakly. 

Their main course was served. But she had never seen Two-Fish Saute look like this. For one, the portions were small, the fish strips measuring both less than the width of her palm and the accompanying asparagus and broccoli were undercooked. She preferred them to be harder in texture. Actually, she usually loved to eat this dish with potatoes or fries, even, but a restaurant of this star rating turned its nose on the idea of something as juvenile and common as fries.

She watched Hubert, who picked at his food and only chewed the bits of fish.

“I must apologize for my suspicions were correct. This is, indeed, an overvalued restaurant.”

“I’m sorry this restaurant is so terrible,” she said, raising her hand towards her glass of water to drink out of, but instead, she knocked it down in Hubert’s direction, ruining his food and splattering his coat. “ _ I’m so sorry! _ ” she said, placing both of her hands to her mouth. Tears fell down her eyes. This date was going horribly wrong. Of course it was. No date with her would ever work out. 

“Stupid Bernie. Clumsy and useless. I’m unmarriageable, I really am,” she said in between tears. She wasn’t sure if Hubert could hear her, but he moved from his spot, now besides her, his hand on her shoulder.

She placed her head on him, her tears falling. She knew that people were likely watching her and that made her crying even worse. 

“You’ve done nothing wrong. I believe your tears have stained my coat more than your glass of water ever did,” he said. 

She cried even harder, knowing she was at fault.

“Check, please,” he said to their server, who merely glanced at her sobs. “Bernie, look at me.”

She looked at him, wiping her tears. She saw that they were relatively unnoticed by the other patrons. “Uh-huh?”

“None of this is your fault. This was my own terrible idea. I believed this would impress you. But clearly, it did not, as I can see right here and now.”

“You’re not mad at me for spilling my drink at you or for crying or for—”

“Not in the slightest. Nor am I disappointed at you in particular.” She tried to read his eyes. Well, the one easily visible eye. He seemed sincere enough. She felt suddenly bashful at his admittance of wanting to impress her.

“O-okay. I believe you.” Bernadetta wiped her tears and nodded. “I’m going to um...go to the bathroom.” Hubert returned back to his seat so he could pay for their dinner.

She cleaned her face up and grabbed her makeup, reapplying it with care. Her eyes were still dewy and some of the mascara had fallen off, despite it being waterproof. 

**How’s it going?** Hilda had typed.

**I already cried once •́ ‿ ,•̀**

**Oh no! What happened? Did he do something? Remember, I can always call a cab for you if it’s not going well.**

**No!!! I spilled a glass of water on him! It was an accident!**

She felt terrible for that, still, but she recalled how he was explicitly not angry or disappointed at her for doing so. 

Hilda messaged her.  **That’s not a big deal. Unless he made it out to be that way…**

**No! He actually tried to comfort me when I cried.**

**Aww he’s a keeper! <3 Anyway, you should go back to your date instead of texting me. Remember to be yourself, Bernie. And I want to know everything after!**

Hubert was standing when she came back. Her hand found his as they left the restaurant, both unsatisfied. 

Once they were outside, Bernadetta’s eyes fell on a pizza joint across the street, filled with people who looked as though they were having a good time. She wished that could have been how their experience at this restaurant had been. 

“Is something on your mind?” Hubert asked. 

“Um, I know we just ate, but I kinda want um...a pizza,” she said.

“Then why don’t we?”

“Because we just had um, dinner.”

“How much worse can a pizza be than the small portions we had?” Hubert paused. “It’s up to you, Bernie. There’s no way this could be worse than the experience we just had.”

She gazed at him, now keenly aware her hand was holding his. “Um, okay! Let’s go!”

The place had even more people than Bernadetta ever could have anticipated and the seating was a free-for-all. She saw a couple leaving and she instantly rushed to take their seats before other people could.

It was incredibly noisy, with lots of chatter and electronica music playing, but the smell of delicious food made her consider staying for a spell. As long as no one wanted to speak to her, then everything would be fine. 

She leaned in closer to him. “Um, can I stay seated here, Hubert?”

“As in you want me to order?”

She nodded. “I like pepperoni and um...yeah, pepperoni will do.” It wasn’t what she was craving but what she really wanted was too controversial. 

“Half anchovies and half pepperoni?” he asked. 

“You’re ordering a box? And anchovies?”

“For myself. Why not a box?”

“Um...Actually, I kind of want ham and pineapple, is that okay?”

“I don’t see a problem. I’ll be back soon.”

Bernadetta took out her phone and searched for the restaurant they had just left, filtering the two thousand reviews to only show the one star ratings. The reviews were a lot funnier than she ever could have anticipated and she began to giggle. She barely noticed when Hubert returned. He had brought drinks, utensils, and napkins on top of the large pizza box

“You’re quite amused. Do tell.”

“I’m reading one star reviews of the restaurant we just had,” she replied while he opened the box and took out a slice of pizza. “Listen to this, ‘You can definitely skip this place. The issue is not the cost but yes, it is expensive, but the abysmal food. The food is tasteless, bland, and generally unappealing’.” Bernadetta began to giggle before continuing on. She was unable to control herself and handed Hubert her phone so he could finish reading. 

His eyes skimmed the review. “‘You’re better off eating a Kirsten’s TV dinner from a microwave. It would be a considerable step up. They should add a WcDonald’s to the menu (burgers, fries, and shakes) so that the guests will have something to actually eat’.” Bernadetta laughed even louder at his deadpan delivery. “They’re not wrong, somehow.” He handed her phone back. 

“This one’s pretty funny, too: ‘I have eaten here on occasion and and after each meal, I ask myself why’.”

“Then perhaps don’t go,” Hubert said dryly, cutting his pizza with a fork and plastic knife. “I’ve certainly learned my lesson. How imbecilic of them to even consider going back.”

Bernadetta began to eat a slice herself and skimmed the bad reviews. “Ooh, look at this one! ‘If you want to spend a huge amount of gold and come out hungry then this is the place for you’.”

“That would be us.”

Bernadetta laughed. “Right?” She continued reading. “‘Don’t trust the good reviews on this place because most of the good reviews were written by the owner of this restaurant’.”

“If I remember properly, there were over two thousand reviews in total. I picked this establishment precisely because of the good outweighing the bad.”

“Two thousand, one hundred and thirty-three is the grand total, actually,” she clarified. Bernadetta met Hubert’s gaze and didn’t find herself shirking at him. He wasn’t smiling, but his lips were turned slightly upwards, showing a hint of a smile. He didn’t look scary or intimidating in any sense of the word. She returned his grin with a smile of her own. She couldn’t help it. She was actually having fun. 

“Do you believe the owner actually wrote over a thousand reviews?”

“I don’t know, Hubert. We’d have to read the reviews one by one and see if there’s a similar writing style.”

“Not the answer I’d say or expect you to say.”

“Then let’s just skim through the list!” She moved her chair and placed it right next to where Hubert was sitting as they began to read from the list together and ate their pizza slowly. They both tried a bite of the other’s pizza. Bernadetta didn’t like the saltiness and bitter taste of anchovies, not to mention, he had seasoned his slice with spices, causing her to drink half her water bottle; Hubert cringed when he tried the pineapple and ham pizza, saying neither had the rights to be on a pizza with this combination.

Time passed and people began to slowly leave. Bernadetta could now hear her voice, instead of having to lean closer in Hubert’s direction. 

Bernadetta let out a small yawn. “Sorry about that,” she said. 

Hubert checked his watch. “It’s late. I ought to return you back home.”

She didn’t want to leave. Not when she was having so much fun right now. But she couldn’t say that. She saw the time on her phone. It was well past midnight, closer to one. “Okay.”

When they were back in the car, the streetlights made Bernadetta feel even sleepier, especially with the way the lights would fade in, then fade out. She felt her eyes grow heavy. 

The car stopped. “Are we home?” she asked, yawning yet again. 

“We are,” he said. She unfastened her seatbelt. “I hope you have a good rest, Bernie.” He rested his hand on the armest.

“Um, I had a good time, Hubert. Thanks.” Her hand found his for the second time that night. She squeezed it. “I hope we can do this again, t-that is, if you want to.”

“I would most certainly like that,” he said, his voice a whisper. Bernadetta could have sworn she felt her pulse race a little faster. He let go of her hand.

“But let’s make it an inside date!”

“Is that what you want?” he asked, his voice still a whisper. Bernadetta felt goosebumps in her arms.

“Yup. This is what I want.” There was a silence in the air and Bernadetta couldn’t help but suddenly feel nervous around Hubert. “Um, with that...Bye!” She opened the car door and left. 

When she was at her front porch, Hubert opened his car door. She held her breath, half wondering if he would kiss her again, but she realized what he was holding in his hands. 

“Please accept this box containing the remnants of our dinner.”

“I forgot about that!” she said, accepting the box.

“Or at the very least, give them to Leonie. Give her my regards.” 

“Will do!” He left her soon after. 

When Bernadetta entered her room she felt something...something she couldn’t identify at first, but if she had to pick a word to describe what she was feeling, she would call it elation.

Maybe this whole dating thing wouldn’t be so bad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That thing with the salad just being a giant stalk of lettuce with dressing at the top and 3 croutons was based on an irl experience I had. I gave up on after a few minutes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta hosts Hubert for their second date.

“Ugh that’s disgusting!” Leonie said moments after she opened the pizza box containing Hubert and Bernadetta’s leftovers. Bernadetta peered over to where Leonie was standing through the sofa, had her knees on the bottom cushion, her hands on the top cushion. “You two are perfect for each other with your disgusting taste in food.”

Leonie grabbed the box and began to take off the toppings and set them aside. She put the cold pizzas in the microwave. 

“So uh, do you want to talk about it?” she asked. “I kind of suck at this whole guy-talk thing.”

“Um, it went pretty well.”

“Cool. Does this mean he’s your boyfriend or something?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure.” They hadn’t had that conversation yet and yesterday wasn’t really the right time. Bernadetta wanted to change the subject before she felt even more uncomfortable. “How’s your search going?”

“I’m changing tactics. I can’t really do this alone so I’m entrusting an old friend to help me track down some associates of his so I can catch the big fish. Then I can get somewhere. He knows a thing or two about art so I might gain an advantage that way.”

Bernadetta crossed her arms and lowered her head on the cushion. “That actually sounds like a good idea!”

“It took some convincing but I think it’ll work out. I think part of being a bounty hunter isn’t just using brute force but using strategy and every weapon at your disposal.”

It felt good to have Leonie back home. Bernadetta readjusted herself and sat normally as Leonie took her place beside her and turned on a movie. 

“Ick, I can still taste that salty stuff,” Leonie said, not setting the pizza down and eating it some more. “I love fish, but on pizza?”

“Why are you still eating it?”

“It’s free pizza! Why wouldn’t I?”

Bernadetta relaxed into the sofa, reclining against a pillow and placing her feet at a table. She had retrieved the box of chocolates Hubert had given her that was currently set on the table. The flavors were indeed a different one. White chocolate, dark chocolate, raspberry chocolate, orange chocolate, chili chocolate. So far she had liked each and every single piece. Even the chili one.

Today had to be an inside day. Bernadetta had a good date, but she craved the indoors. She had been out too many times as of late. Leonie put on an action movie as Bernadetta ate her chocolates.

Sometime later, Hilda and Marianne entered through the door, the bells going off and signaling their entrance.

“Tell us everything!” Hilda said before saying anything else.

“Hey Hilda. Hey Marianne,” Leonie said. “Didn’t expect you two to show up here.”

"Well, we were in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by!" Hilda was holding a turquoise bag with Hilda's store logo on it. “Here’s some gifs for you, Bernie! It’s a way of congratulating you on having your first date.”

Bernadetta was almost scared to open the bag. 

“Go on! Open it!”

Inside were a pair of round earrings and a silver necklace with a heart shaped resin pendant. All of them had dried lilacs inside of them. They were clearly handmade and some of the prettiest earrings she had ever seen.

“Um, thanks Hilda!”

“It’s no problem, Bernie! We’re your friends and we want to celebrate with you.”

“Oh!” Marianne said. “I also made us cookies.” She held up a basket.

“Nice!” Leonie said. “You make the best cookies.” She went through the basket and took a large chocolate chip cookie. “Where’s Lysithea?” she asked as she chewed on the cookie. 

“She couldn’t make it. She’s with Cyril right now,” Hilda said. “They’re probably-”

“Hilda you know it’s not like _that_!” Marianne said. “She says she doesn’t spend enough time with him.”

Hilda and Marianne sat down on the sofa, squeezing in between Bernadetta and Leonie. “So Bernie, tell us everything!”

Bernadetta recounted most of the date, from the chocolates and lilies he gave her. (“Good thing Lysithea’s isn’t here,” Hilda said when she pointed to the open box of chocolates on the table) to the disastrous first restaurant to the way things improved when they were in a more casual setting.

“Did he kiss you again or…?” Hilda asked. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell us, I know I might be a little too curious for my own good.”

Bernadetta went red. “Um, we held hands for a little bit. It was like, um, a few minutes, tops.”

“How sweet,” Hilda said. “Sounds like you had a great time!”

“I did!”

“Have you made plans for the next one?” Marianne asked. 

Bernadetta shook her head. “Kinda, but I want it to be indoors. I’m thinking of cooking something for him.”

“Um, should I back out or…” Leonie asked. “I don’t want to just awkwardly stand around while you two spend time together here..”

“You’re always busy these days, anyway,” Hilda said. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Just schedule a day where you know Leonie won’t be there.”

“Well, that’s true," Leonie began, "But if he tries anything you don’t want to do, you can always call me or the Deer Bar if I forget to charge my phone again.”

Bernadetta nodded. Hubert had made it explicitly clear he would respect her boundaries but it was nice knowing Leonie would still be there for her no matter what. 

“I can give you my Alliance cookbook, Bernie,” Marianne said. 

“Oh, I can’t accept that,” Bernadetta said. 

“You’ll probably use it more than I do!” Marianne smiled. 

“She’s given you a smile. That means you have no choice but to accept!” Hilda said, her voice in a sing-song tone. “Oh, and keep the necklace I lent you. It’s yours now, Bernie.”

“A-are you sure?”

“We’re all friends here, aren’t we?” Hilda asked. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, Bernie!”

“Were you and Leonie watching something?” Marianne asked. 

They nodded. 

“Can we join in too?” Marianne asked again. 

“Sure, but let’s watch some other movie. I’ll let you two pick. Anyone want a beer?”

“I’ll take one! A light beer if you have one!” Hilda said. She snuggled in between Bernadetta and Marianne, making herself comfortable in the little space they had while Leonie got the liquor. Bernadetta grabbed another cookie from Marianne as she enjoyed the scene playing out with her and her friends.

In that moment Bernadetta smiled, but she felt terrible. They were all so nice to her that she had little to give in return. Not to mention they didn’t know her. Not really. No one did. They didn’t know of her past or who she truly was, and neither did Hubert. 

But she wanted to keep all of them close to her, and desperately so, for she had never felt this close to having solid connections before. If she... _When_ she came clean about herself, would they still like her?

She certainly hoped so.

* * *

“So, how did it go?” Lysithea asked Monday morning when she entered Hubert’s office. She didn’t even knock this time.

“Quite well, I suppose,” Hubert said. 

Hubert replayed the night many, many times since he arrived home that evening. He couldn’t stop thinking of the way Bernie’s fingers laced his, the way they squeezed his when she asked for a second date. He wasn’t hoping for much, but at the very least, he got to see her smile and hear her laughter.

_Her laughter is so vibrant._

He was more than willing to spend more time with her and see what else could happen. 

Taking it slow was indeed the best course of action and he was glad that they had set the terms of...whatever this was. 

“That’s good! You’re not as hopeless as you look! Did she like the lillies and the chocolate?”

Hubert tried not to take offense to that. 

She sent him a message yesterday on that topic. 

**About the chocolates…** She had started. 

**Were they to your liking? Any in particular you preferred more than the rest? Were there any you found unpleasant?**

**I liked them all! There wasn’t a single one I didn’t enjoy! ^_^ I was worried about the chili one but it ended up tasting great! Thanks so much, Hubert. You didn’t have to get me anything.**

**It was my pleasure. And I think I will keep getting you things.**

**(•‿•)**

“Hello? Hubert?” Lysithea sighed. “Goodness! I asked you if you have anything planned out in the future.”

“We do, but she is adamant on keeping our next meeting indoors.”

“Oh. I see,” Lysithea arched her brow.

Hubert didn’t know what Lysithea was trying to imply with her tone but he was certain that not much would amount from that date. At least, not physically.

“In that case, if you’re going to be indoors, then you have to look the part. Do you have anything casual? You can’t just go dressed like you currently are.”

“I may be a bit lacking in casual clothes.” He could always have Bernie make something for him, but he had already commissioned her a pinstripe suit. He didn’t want to give her any more burdens or more pressure with her commissions. 

“We’re totally going to go and get you ready for your next date.”

A part of him wanted to say no to Lysithea, but her advice was surprisingly good and perhaps she could be of more use to him. Especially when it came towards the chocolates. “When are you available?”

“Pretty much every day except for Thursdays and weekends.”

Edelgard tapped on the door. 

“Oh hey Lysithea. I was wondering where you were! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“I was asking Hubert if we should go all out on our social media campaign. We need to humanize you as much as we can too appease future voters. Especially those our age.” Hubert was impressed by how effortlessly Lysithea was able to lie to Edelgard.

“And what do you think of that, Hubert?”

“I believe there is some merit to what Lysithea is proposing. We have to think strategically. It would be wise to to get you on more social media platforms. It would make you truly seen as a woman of our generation and not just simply as Ionius’s daughter who got into politics to follow along. You want to forge your own path.”

“That’s certainly true,” Edelgard said. “I wouldn’t expect Hubert to be up to date on the most relevant of websites, but perhaps you are, Lysithea.”

“I can teach Hubert, if you want.”

Edelgard chuckled. “Hubert, on social media. That is most certainly an intriguing prospect. I’ll approve of it, Lysithea, if that’s okay with Hubert.”

“I see no worries with this if it means helping our efforts.”

Hubert had no idea how he got roped into this, but it was most certainly a decent cover for their decidedly not work appropriate conversations. He was going to tell Edelgard about Bernie, but now wasn’t the right time to do so. He didn’t enjoy keeping something from her for so long, but what was going on between them wasn’t serious enough for Edelgard to get wind of.

It would have to wait for the time being. All he had to do was bide his time. 

*

 **Hubert, would you like to come for dinner tomorrow night?** Bernie texted him a few days later. He was waiting for the inevitable invitation text. **I want to make something for you.**

She sent him another message. **If that’s okay with you, of course! (๑•﹏•)**

And another. **Oh and if you’re not too busy!**

**What time do you have in mind?**

**Is 7 at night okay with you?**

**Yes.**

He soon told Lysithea, who insisted on a meetup immediately after work, where they spent hours looking for any kind of outfit that looked decent on him. It was mostly a failure. Almost all of them looked awkward on his lean, angular figure. He had filled out properly in some areas of his body such as his broad shoulders, but other parts of his body were too thin, like his arms and torso. This was why he benefited from a tailor. Most clothes looked terrible on him.

“Can you like, eat or something?” Lysithea asked.

“No,” he said, deadpan. 

“You’re hopeless! Sweaters it is.” 

And that was how Hubert had settled on a black sweater and black slacks for tonight’s date. The material was itchy but it would have to do. He made sure to pin the aster flower before leaving.

Hubert had arrived at the allotted time. He made the effort to knock on the door before heedlessly entering and scaring. 

“H-hi Hubert!” Bernie said, opening the door. 

“Good evening,” he said, bowing. He ignored the increasing beats in his chest. 

She wore a short black skirt over tights and a purple shirt and a matching necklace and earrings with flowers inside. She looked lovely. 

The first thing Hubert noticed was that the entire house smelled of food. The second thing was how clean the living area looked. It was near unrecognizable in it’s cleanliness.

It looked far more impressionable. 

_Did she clean up this space for me?_

Bernie ran back to the kitchen. “Um...Take a seat wherever you like! I have to put the finishing touches on this dish but do you need anything?”

Hubert shook his head and watched her as she worked the kitchen. He held the gift bag awkwardly as Bernie completely focused on the task at hand. She also seemed to be reading off a book. 

He saw her gathering the plates and placing the ingredients and their portions in each plate. She brought them over to a wooden table on the far side of the living area, where a lit candle shone. 

The fact that she was putting all of this effort for him only quickened his traitorous heartbeat.

“Oh I forgot to get us water!” She ran back to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of water. “Um, take a seat, please!” He did not take a seat.

Rather, he eyed the steaming plate that rested on the table. It was some kind of meat, fried and pounded flat. There were vegetables on the side, mostly carrots and broccoli. 

It looked...revolting. 

Hubert swallowed his pride. He would need to eat this to impress her, otherwise…

He was lucky he previous date was salvaged by her suggestion of pizza and a willingness on her part to talk adorably about the prior restaurant. This was different. She had personally made this meal herself. There was no way to navigate around that. 

She was back with the glasses of water. “Sorry for all of that!”

“It was of no consequence,” he said. 

“Oh! I totally almost forgot. When I cook, I tend to forget everything else but I made you something!” She held another flower, a light pink one this time. “I thought maybe you were getting um, tired of wearing the same flower over and over again. Maybe you’d like some more variety.”

Hubert accepted the flower, pinning it next to the aster. “It’s quite pretty. What flower is it?” 

“Oh, um, it’s a peony! I used to grow some growing up. I like them.”

“I myself got you something as well, Bernie,” he said. “Not chocolates or flowers this time.” He held the giftbag up. The memories of him and Lysithea at the shopping mall came pouring back. 

“I am not going inside that store,” he said. 

“Yes you are,” Lysithea said. “Grow up.”

“You’re telling _me_ to grow up when we’re about to enter a children’s store. And not just any children’s store, but rather a store catered to newborns. Is this something you like to do, Lysithea? Do you like to shop at a store for infants?”

“Are you calling me a child?” Lysithea had said, her shrill voice becoming a half squeak.

“That depends on context,” Hubert countered.

“Just trust me, will you?”

Hubert closed his eyes and entered the children’s store. She led him to an entire section dedicated to plushies. Hubert was painfully aware of the startling contrast between a man like himself in such a cheery and soft setting. He was the black spot in a sea of soft pastels and white.

It felt abnormal.

He wouldn’t have been caught dead here, yet here he was. “Every girl loves cute things! Now, try to find something you think this girl will like.”

A few minutes later, Hubert’s gaze settled on a sleepy, yet content hedgehog with a light pink body and a dark pink bow. 

“That’s perfect!” Lysithea said. “It’s the perfect levels of cute. There may be some hope for you yet.”

“Please be quiet,” Hubert told her. “Now let's pay for this before I inadvertently scare an expectant mother into giving birth.”

Hubert was back in Bernie’s home again, watching her open the pink glitter gift bag. Her eyes widened when the hedgehog appeared. She squealed. “It’s so cute! Hubert how did you know that hedgehogs were some of my favorite animals!”

 _They were?_ “I didn’t.”

It must have been a lucky guess. 

Bernie surprised him by giving him a hug. Hubert didn’t process the fact that Bernie’s arms had wrapped around his stomach for a few seconds, her body clinging to his. When it finally hit him, he placed one hand around her and the other patted the top of her head. She was so much shorter than him and felt so compact under him. 

Hubert legitimately couldn’t remember the last time he embraced someone—or was embraced by someone. The feeling was not unlike floating. Or like a person lost in a desert being met by the rain. Hubert closed his eyes and...

She let go before Hubert could properly savor the hug.

“Thanks!” She looked at the dinner, which was now nowhere near as steaming as it was minutes earlier. The short-lived elation Hubert was feeling had all but evaporated as dread replaced it. “We should um, eat before our dinner gets too cold.”

Hubert pulled Bernie’s chair before she sat in an effort to be polite. She blushed, but she didn’t call him out for this. Perhaps he would do this for future occasions.

“It’s Derdriu-Style Fried Pheasant! I hope you like it!” she said. 

Hubert began to cut the pheasant. He figured if he cut a big piece and stuck it in his mouth, then she wouldn’t question it if he left a sufficient portion of it. 

He hated the taste of pheasant. Usually, it tasted like a bland, inferior chicken and this game-like taste to it that was simply nauseating to him, but to Bernie’s credit, she seasoned the pheasant with herbs and butter and used an appropriate sauce. He could still taste of the game aspects of it and attempted to swallow it down with water. 

It didn’t work. He choked on his meal. 

“Hubert! Are you okay?!”

“I’m...fine.” He grabbed a glass of water, which sloshed and spilled on the table, and drank until he began to feel better.

“Better?” she asked. 

“Yes. Thank you for asking.”

He attempted to take a bite of a carrot, which at least was seasoned with black pepper, but carrots weren’t a food he wasn’t fond of. “You said you enjoyed baking. Do you enjoy cooking as well?”

She nodded vigorously. “I used to cook all the time with my uncle growing up. He taught me so much about everything I need to know. It’s fun to cook!”

Hubert took a stalk of broccoli and chewed it. The taste wasn’t terrible by any means, but he always hated the texture of it. The way the stem felt compared to the branch of it. It was abhorrent. Simply vile. 

None of that was Bernie’s fault. 

In fact, he remained impressed by her. She seemed like a woman of many talents. She could tailor, embroider, make stuffed animals, bake, cook, garden...

Hubert barely had any hobbies by comparison. 

“Is this the same uncle who taught you how to bake?”

She nodded again. “He also gave me that stuffed bear I think you’ve seen in my room. He was a traveler, always going everywhere around the world and filling the blank pages of his notebook with drawings of the sights he would see. He used to show me all of his sketches, of the birds and wildlife and the people all around. I learned how to draw, too, because of him.” There was a wistful tone to her voice, almost as if...Hubert wasn’t sure what it was, but that was the only word that came to mind. 

“Is he still traveling?”

Bernie frowned. “No...My uncle, um, he’s gone.”

“I’m not much for condolences, but you have them.”

Bernie took a sip of water, her eyes blinking rapidly, as though she were holding back tears. He now felt incredibly guilty for bringing up such a sore topic of conversation. He forced another forced bite of pheasant. They ate in silence.

“Um...Hubert,” she said, eventually, her eyes still watery. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“You don’t like my cooking, do you? You must think it’s horrible!”

“What makes you say that?” He was a terrible actor. He knew he should have stopped being disingenuous but he also wanted to please her.

“You visibly wince each time you take a bite, and I keep seeing you’ve been moving your vegetables around. I’m so sorry! What did I do wrong? You’re terrible, Bernie!” He could hear her murmur other things to herself, including something that sounded like “unmarriageable”. If he recalled correctly, she said a similar thing during their last date. It was quite an odd and specific thing to say. He disliked these moments tremendously. He felt a need to correct her and tell her why she was wrong and tell her every reason why, but he didn’t know how or where to begin. If anything, he still felt guilty for attempting to eat her dinner in the first place. 

“Nothing. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Hubert sighed as a tear fell from her face. This was the exact outcome he strived to avoid. He failed in that, of course. He was a horrendous person to date. He didn’t know if striding over to her side was the right thing to do in this situation, if giving her his particularly horrendous ways of emotional comfort would help in alleviating this situation, especially since all he could think about was kissing those tears away and telling her it was her effort that mattered. 

_A halfwitted thought to have._

Instead, he remained seated. 

She began to cover her face with her hands.

“Bernie,” he said, attempting to be firm. “Look at me.” She looked at him with her large, tearstained eyes. He wondered if their talks about her uncle had possibly set her off. Edelgard was similar whenever she was upset about what happened to her siblings. Typically the best course of action was to leave her alone to her own devices and be there when she needed him besides her. Bernie was not Edelgard under any respects. “I will not mince words. This meal is quite excellent, however, I have...an aversion to many foods. If anything, it is my fault for not having informed you of my...eating habits.”

“So um, you’re saying you’re a picky eater?”

“Precisely that, yes,” he said. 

She sniffed. “I’m sorry for not asking you if this meal was okay. I just thought...I don’t know. You don’t have to keep eating for my sake.”

“Why don’t we reach a compromise, then? I will inform you of foods I do enjoy and if you aren’t sure if I would like something, you can always message me. It’s best to not leave any surprises on my eating habits.”

“But what if it’s something I know you liked?”

“Well, that would have to be later, wouldn’t it?” It was a stupid thing to hope for a “later”. 

“I’m saying that because I also made us dessert,” she said, getting up from her seat. 

“Did you now?”

It was a rarity whenever Hubert liked sweets, and one of the few exceptions was…

She walked back with a container full of the coffee cakes she once made once before, the night he had kissed her without warning. He didn’t mean to conjure up the memory and he attempted to shove it aside. It wasn’t what he needed to think about tonight. If she ever wanted to kiss him again, then he would be ready for it. _If._

“Take as many as you like!” she said when he took a single one. This time, she had added walnuts to the recipe. It tasted even better than the last time.

“At least my cooking wasn’t a total bust,” she said, taking the plates and placed them in the sink. 

“Well, next time we would need to find something that could accommodate the two of us. I’m sure there’s something for us. The Two-Fish Saute was one such dish. I am certain there are more.”

“Good, because I don’t want to cook the same things over and over again.”

“Who knows, perhaps you’ll introduce me to something new? Maybe something I’ll even like.”

Bernie smiled. “I’d like that.” She threw out the contents of their dishes into a plastic bag. Well, most of his and what little remained of hers.

“If I may, I’d implore to wash the dishes. You’ve done enough.”

“You’re my guest. I’ve got it.”

“I insist, Bernie.” They locked eyes. Bernie was the first to look away. 

“Um, okay!”

Hubert got up and began to clean the plates, ensuring they were just sparking as they were in their original state. It felt weirdly domestic, doing this. He tried to think of his parents and harkened back to those times, but little memories came through. He was so busy in tutoring and afterschool activities that nothing came to mind about the things his parents would do for each other. He wondered if they even went out on dates or did small things for each other like this. 

“Hubert?” Bernie asked. “Do you, um have any hobbies?”

He wasn’t surprised she brought the question up, considering all they ever did was talk about her hobbies. Hubert began to think of the things he might have enjoyed to do, and all he could think of was his work. 

“Why do you ask?”

“Maybe we can spend out next date doing something you like to do!”

Hubert was drawing a blank as to what he liked to do. He was also blindsided by the fact that Bernie wanted to go on another date. A third date. With him. 

He would have understood if this were the final date, if she never wanted to see him again. All he ever did during their dates was make her cry in some form or another. But it seemed she wanted to keep seeing him. 

“Unless you don’t want to go on another date? I’d understand if you didn’t want to…”

He must have appeared too blank-faced and pensive for Bernie’s liking. “It’s not that, Bernie. I would most certainly enjoy another date with you. I...I like reading and…” Hubert scraped his mind for more hobbies, “Games, yes. Games.”

“Games? Like video games?”

“Of a sort. I prefer board games. Strategy games, mostly. Edelgard and I often partake in playing board games whenever we have free time.” If they were going to continue then, then he’d have to tell Edelgard, preferably on or before his birthday.

“Can you teach me?” 

“Of course. I can bring them here, to you, or I can take you to my home.”

She went red. “Um…”

“Perhaps, not, then.” He could see how visiting his apartment could be such an intimidating prospect to her. “I can always come over, if you’ll have me.”

Bernie nodded. “That sounds...good to me!” He wondered if the date was over already, since they were in the planning stages. “So um, since we’ve talked, do you want to watch something? Another movie? The news?” She grabbed the hedgehog plush he gave her and sat down, the hedgehog nestled in her lap.

“I’ve had enough of the news, pick anything you like. I will not mind it.” 

They sat together while Bernie changed the channels. Hubert did not care for anything that was on the television. He only used it as an excuse to spend more time with her. He could have left after having dinner, but he had no desire to leave. Even if Bernie only wanted to do this, he wouldn’t have minded. 

He aimlessly watched whatever she settled on. A drama about a man and his friends going on an epic journey. A portion of his arc was that he had fallen in love with a girl, who reciprocated his affection, but was ultimately an immortal dragon of some sort. To him, it was all mindless drivel, but he eventually found himself somewhat paying attention. 

Until he felt a weight on his shoulder.

Hubert looked over to his side and saw Bernie’s head slumped against his side. She had fallen fast asleep beside him, her breaths steady and rhythmic. He was surprised at the sight of her sleeping. The hedgehog had moved from her lap to being cuddled in her arms. Her expression matched that of the hedgehog. 

His fingers ghosted through her hair. She looked so soft, so delicate in this state. 

His mind began to wander, wondering if he would ever dare see such a sight again. And how lucky he felt to see her in such a vulnerable state. Perhaps she no longer feared his presence. 

But it was better for the both of them if he woke her up now. “Bernie,” he whispered. 

She stirred. “Huh? Hubert? Did I fall asleep?”

He nodded. “Indeed. I should go, then.” 

“Oh. Um. Night!”

Hubert bowed in her direction, turned away, and—

“Hubert!” she said. The feeling of something fluttering in his stomach began, and intensely so. 

He turned around. “Yes?” 

She held the container containing the cakes with her. “Take these with you! I know you like them. I made them for you, anyway.” 

He grabbed the container. Their eyes met. Her eyes were so full of expression, so deep and detailed. But most importantly, she no longer flinched from their eye contact. She did, however, break away once she noticed she was holding the container as well. “Night Hubert!”

He finally took his leave, his thoughts centered fully on the weight of her body against his and the feel of her arms around him when she embraced him. It was a shame he couldn’t savor it. Hubert found himself increasingly giving into his foolish beliefs of hope, but for once, he was hoping there would be future occasions of that, and more prolonged, too.

For there was now nothing more he wanted more than her touch and affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want a really amazing (and very pink!) art/comic detailing Hubert gifting Peony to Bernie that captures Bernie, Hubert, and Lysithea perfectly well, then look no more: https://twitter.com/ymkse_art/status/1257868506886004739?s=20
> 
> I cried when I saw this. I look at it every day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta remembers her past and moves forward.

_2 Years Ago_

Bernadetta wasn’t one for thinking so traitorously. 

She also wasn’t one for making plans.

Everything she did outside her room was closely monitored by Father and his underlings. The possibility of escape never seemed so dim before now that her father had renewed interest in her. She chastised herself for not leaving at an earlier time. For not being able to convince her father to let her attend an in-person university instead of letting her fears get the best of her and taking online classes. 

Leaving in the middle of the night was a no-no. If anything, it was when her father’s forces were at their most active. She had to pick the right time and bolt out. 

But time was not on her side. She only had a few days left until her upcoming wedding. She had already gone through her dress fitting and everything.

Bernadetta had uncharacteristically tidied up her room after the incident with her fiance. Her laptop was in its bag, and she had a large knapsack with various outfits and other details inside. 

Not that anyone had known of that. Her knapsack was hidden away in the floorboards under her bed. 

“I’ll take you with me, Captain Snufflekins. You know we’re a team, right?”

_We’re a team._

The very words her uncle would say when she was little and they would bake or draw or...just spend time together. He was her protector, the one person who she could count on whenever her father was…

She desperately wished her uncle was her father, more than anything, and sometimes she did allow herself to mentally veer in that direction. She wondered if he was still alive now. Would he be able to help her relocate? She would have surely have told him everything regarding her fiance’s actions and she knew he would have reacted accordingly. 

_You have to leave, Bernadetta. You have to be the one to find your freedom and set your own course._ It wasn’t really her uncle’s words, but she could hear his voice in her head. It was funny how sometimes one could just hear the voices of the dead just do that. 

“I know,” she whispered out loud. 

Her father knocked on her door minutes later, causing her to stand bolt upright. 

“Bernadetta,” he said through the door. 

“Yes, Father?”

“Your fiancé will be here shortly for tea. Make sure you’re dressed appropriately.”

Bile crept up her throat. This would be the first time she would see him again since... 

“Of course, Father.” 

Mother had arrived minutes later, brushing her hair. She had already picked out an outfit for her. An innocent, long sleeved yellow dress with a white collar and white lacework at the hem and sleeves. Her mother put on a string of pearls. 

“These were your grandmother’s,” she said. “Take care of these.”

Bernadetta gave her an uneasy smile. 

Her eyes reflected genuine concern. Her mother was cold, yet awkward with her emotions so seeing such a vivid display on her face made Bernadetta feel oddly comfortable around her mother. "Bernadetta, is something the matter?"

"I...I can't do this!" She put her hands to her eyes and began sobbing. Her mother's fingers rested on Bernadetta's shoulders, her grip tense, while she told her everything about the violent encounter with her fiancé. "Please tell me there's a back-up plan? Maybe even someone else to marry?"

"Your father wouldn't hear it. He's settled on this man. He's acting in haste because our money reserves are rapidly dwindling and his coffers are rich."

"But...but... You're good with money, Mother. I don't see why he can't have you look into other options instead of using me as a bargaining chip."

But she knew why. Her mother had the same bruises as her, and likely the same scars. Nothing would convince him anyway. He didn't respect her mother, even when she had good ideas. 

"It is a travesty he turned out to be a vicious drunkard. Not that your father would choose a morally outstanding man, anyway. I thought maybe this one was an exception, but he hides it well."

"I'm scared," Bernadetta said.

"I'll try to come up with a plan but when keeping your father, there's too much risk involved. You know exactly what your father is capable of."

She was right. "I know…"

Mother resumed applying her make-up.

She looked delicate, like a lady of House Varley. An heiress of a wealthy mining and iron family. Well, not so wealthy anymore. Not that many people didn’t know that.

“Thank you, Mother.”

Bernadetta walked out into the patio, where her father and fiancé were seated. There was a stillness in the air. It was dry outside, like always, but it felt so hot. Too hot. Bernadetta felt stifled in her dress.

They were smiling at each other, their movements and expressions mirroring each other, which caused her blood to run cold. It was like watching a timelapse, of what was and what could be.. _I have to escape._

_But how?_

“Good afternoon, Bernadetta,” her fiancé said, his handsome face smiling innocently at her. “You look lovely today.”

“Thank you. You look good today, as well.” She forced another smile, her cheekbones were starting to feel strained at doing so much of that in such a short time. She accepted his handshake, willing away the memories of how he forced himself on her.

Bernadetta took a seat, accepting the Lavender Blend Tea offered to her. She idly tuned out of their conversation as she tried to wonder how she can find her opening without her father noticing. At the very least, she wanted to escape this occasion. 

_Dear Goddess, I know I don’t pray to you ever, but I need something,_ anything _contrived. Have you ever heard of deus ex machina? I think you’d really like that term, you know? Please, I need you._

“Are you excited for the wedding, my little plum?” her fiancé said. 

_Little plum?_

His earlier words came to mind. _If_ _you’ll allow me, I’d like to taste you. See just how ripe you are._ Bernadetta felt a chill up her spine.

“Of course. I must admit, I’m a little nervous.”

“You have no reason to be. After all, you’re marrying me. Everything will be alright, little plum.”

She tittered at his words. Bernadetta tried not to choke on her tea, instead swallowing the scalding contents. It still didn’t help her increasing nausea. Especially at the thought of what could be running through his mind right now. She could see the lechery in his eyes now. The last time was only a showing of it, but this time it was on full display. Bernadetta was only a tool to her father. A recluse tailor-made to function as the perfect, quiet wife.

“It’ll be a grand affair,” Father said. “My only daughter marrying an up and coming—”

Several of her father’s men had arrived. His expression turned into one of annoyance. “Yes?” he asked, his voice dripping with the familiar venom she was all too used to. The cracks in his friendly facade were showing. Not that her fiancé would bother to care or notice.

“Sir Varley. You’re needed. A fire had broken out in the mines. We need you before they riot.”

He took in a deep breath. “Is this that important? Surely a fire can easily be contained.” Even though it was quite cruel of her father to disregard a fire breaking out in the mine, this was increasingly becoming a frequent problem.

“No. Look above you. You’re needed.”

Bernadetta was the first of them to look up. The blue skies were marred by colossal gray clouds. _Smoke._

This was her chance. She didn’t react to the fire, instead sipping her tea in silence. 

“Fine. Take me to the mines. Actually,” he turned to her fiancé. “Come with me. You’ll learn a little bit about what we do.”

“Goodbye, Father,” she said, bowing from her seat. 

Bernadetta walked to the inside of her house, then ran to her room, changing out of her sandals and putting on sneakers and her favorite leggings. She was too scared to waste any time in case the fire turned out to be a small affair. 

She grabbed her knapsack and her stuffed bear and snuck through her garden. She would have to go through the woods and get out the first way she could. 

Thankfully, she at least knew the fastest route out, thanks to her explorations as a child and teenager. She recalled those moments. How she’d fill her pages with the scenery of the woods and how one time she formed a bond with a deer living there. She even managed to pet him. 

Except one week later, she noticed he went missing. The same week her father had her try venison for the first time. _It was caught in the woods just outside our estate._ She knew he did it on purpose. His smile said it all. 

“Bernadetta,” she heard someone say. Her blood ran cold and she felt her legs freezing in place. 

She turned around, as she was face-to-face with her mother. “You're running away?"

Bernadetta nodded. Mother wore a bemused expression on her face. "Based on your equipment, you've been plotting against your father. I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said.

She didn’t. Yet still, she swallowed and nodded. “I do.” _Fake it until you make it, right?_

“Take this with you. It's all the money I have that your father does not know about." She handed her seven hundred gold. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was a definite amount that could potentially keep her sustained for a short time. Perhaps a week, maybe more, if she was smart. 

Bernadetta had to liquidate her bank account before proceeding, buy and activate a cell phone—any would do— and then find a way to leave for the capital. It was simple enough, right?

She clutched her grandmother’s pearls. 

She could also sell that, too. 

“Thanks, Mother. Goodbye.”

“Good luck,” she said. “You’ll need it. But you're my daughter. You're a survivor.”

And with that, Bernadetta ran through the woods, never once looking back. She would never go back. Not ever. 

* * *

_Present Day_

Sometimes, Bernadetta had to feel herself. Her back, her shoulders, her chin. She hugged herself. On days especially like today, she felt corporeal. As though everything had been a blur. A simulation conjured up in her mind. But that was not the case. She was not an entity, but a real, solid person. 

It had been exactly two years since her great escape into the unknown, into the City of Enbarr. 

So much had happened in these past two years. She met Leonie, and by extension, Hilda, Marianne, and Lysithea. Took self defense classes, went grocery shopping as well as supply shopping on a regular basis, even though she required a pep talk and lots of mental preparation to go, and now she was seeing someone. 

They were all things she never expected she’d ever do. 

Her life was small, yes, but she was all the happier for it.

She was still working on Hubert’s latest commission, but she wanted to take the day off. He would understand. Even she needed days off. Instead, she went grocery shopping, buying fruit, fish, and more baking supplies. She splurged a little bit this time. Why not? It was two years since she began to taste freedom. Why not enjoy life and taste good food, too?

Today was a Fruit and Herring Tart kind of day. It was a popular dish in Enbarr and she wanted to celebrate the city where she was now allowed to live her life the way she wanted. 

Leonie walked in right before the evening fell. She was still in the kitchen, making coffee cakes. She had become prone to making these ever since she first made them for Hubert. She couldn’t stop.

“Hey Bernie!” she said. She stopped in her tracks. “You’re making food. Is Hubert supposed to come over?”

“Nope! I just wanted to make dinner.”

“Oh. It smells amazing,” she said. 

“I’m almost done. Do you want some?”

“Well, if you’re offering!” After a few moments of preparation, Bernadetta offered Leonie a plate while she made her own and joined. Leonie grabbed the utensils and napkins (they were actually out and used paper towels as a substitute, Bernie scolded herself for forgetting to pick up new ones). 

“So um, you’re happy,” Leonie said. “Are things getting serious with Hubert?”

Were they? She thought of their last date and how good it was. How she fell asleep so peacefully with him nearby. She usually wasn’t that sleepy, but that night, she was. And when she awoke the next day, she felt at peace. 

She enjoyed spending so much time with him. She wondered if he was her boyfriend now. 

The thought didn’t bother her at all, but perhaps her answer would come in time. She knew she didn't find him as scary as she initially did three months ago so it was major progress. 

“I don’t know,” she said. It was the honest answer. “But Hubert’s not the reason I’m happy today.”

“He’s not?”

Bernadetta took a deep breath. “Well, our dates make me really happy but today is...It’s kind of a long story.”

Leonie took a bite of a strawberry. “Well, do you want to tell me about it? It sounds pretty serious.”

“Um, well I left home two years ago today.”

“Oh. I guess that’s a cause to celebrate. Want me to get you a beer?” 

Bernadetta shook her head. She didn’t like the taste of beer. At least, not Leonie’s. She, meanwhile, took out a can of beer and another can of soda for Bernadetta. “Thanks!”

“Maybe we should do a toast,” Leonie said.

“Sure!”

“To freedom,” she said.

“To freedom,” Bernadetta echoed.

Their cans touched before they took their sips.

She had Leonie’s full attention now. “I’ve never told you...or anyone about me. And I don’t know where to even begin. Um...Well, my name’s not really Bernie Bear, but I guess you figured that.”

“I mean, kinda? But some people have really out there names.”

“My actual name is Bernadetta von Varley. You can keep calling me Bernie, though!” There wasn’t any kind of recognition to Leonie’s face, which she took as a good thing. “Um, I...ran away from home, actually.”

“Ran away? Aren’t you like, twenty-seven? Well, that would have made you twenty-five, then. That’s not, exactly normal, is it?”

She shook her head. “My Father’s a rich and powerful man. Well, he sort of was, anyway until kind of recently with all of the fires and lost business revenue. I...was engaged two years ago.”

Bernadetta began to tell her what happened. She couldn’t bring herself to tell her the full details, but she told her enough. “My father’s a greedy man and when he doesn’t get what he wants...Well, he’s already a terrifying person to begin with, but I was trained to be the perfect wife.”

“What the hell?” Leonie said. “Perfect wife? What year is it?”

“He would tie me to a chair and challenge me to stay quiet. I would kick and scream, but it was no use.” She bit down tears in her eyes. She could do this.

Leonie’s face was red with rage. “Von Varley, you say?” Leonie got out of her seat. “I’m going to track this guy down so I can kick his ass.”

“No! You can’t! Getting access inside would be difficult already.”

“And this guy you were going to marry, you’re saying he was a carbon copy of your sperm donor?”

Bernadetta laughed at her friend’s creative terminology. _Sperm donor does sound rather fitting, though._ “He was. He was handsome and rich, but…” She couldn’t bring herself to tell her of when he kissed her. The way his body pressed against hers. The way his hands bruised her body. “He was not a good person, either.” She continued. “The best revenge I can take on my father is being here, and being free from him. Free from home. Free from being married and being trapped in an endless cycle. And being happy. I have friends. I have a job I love. I have...someone I’m dating.”

“So you don’t want me to break in and beat the shit out of him? I can totally do it if you wanted to!”

“It’s no use, Leonie. And I don’t think you want to be hunted by bounty hunters yourself. He might not have the money he used to have, but he’s still pretty influential.”

“You have a point there.” Leonie paused. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll find you out?”

“Every day.”

“You know what? From now on, Bernie, I’m going to check up on you whenever I’m out. I’m going to make sure you’re going to be okay and that no one will touch you. And if they do, I will take you back here.”

“Thanks.” Bernadetta smiled at Leonie. She could feel the tears falling down her face, but she couldn’t sob. “Thank you so much, Leonie.”

“What for?”

“For giving me a chance. For offering me to live with you. For introducing me to your friends.” She couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She choked out a sob. 

“Hey, hey. It’s not a problem, Bernie. I...I didn’t know things were that awful for you but I’m so proud of you. You’re amazing for fighting this hard to live the life you deserve and incredibly brave, too.” Leonie got out of her seat and gave Bernadetta a hug. Leonie wasn’t a physically affectionate person so the gesture meant the world to her. She embraced her back. “I’m glad I got to know you.”

“I’m glad I got to know you, too.” Bernadetta wiped her tears. “Also, can you keep this a secret between us?” she asked. 

“Of course! This isn’t the kind of thing I can’t imagine you’d just tell the others. Just...I’ll always be here for you. And Hilda and Marianne and Lysithea, too! I also have a feeling Hubert would be there too.”

Bernadetta nodded, feeling a weight lift her shoulder. Her oven made a beeping noise, indicating the coffee cakes were ready. Bernadetta let go of Leonie and laid out the tray on the table. Leonie's gaze fell on them, then back at Bernadetta once more.

“You’re going to live your best life for another year and this time next year, you pick the thing we’re gonna do to celebrate you being free, alright?” she said. 

“Great! I can’t wait!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leonie calling Bernadetta's father the Sperm Donor was 100% inspired off commenters on my last story. It's also I think Leonie in particular would feasibly say.
> 
> Also no Hubert this chapter. Expect plenty of Hubert goodness next chapter though!!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert's birthday is celebrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week? Well, my buffer was at a good enough length, aka double!
> 
> And yes, this is going to be way longer than my last one.

_16 Years Ago_

Hubert’s birthdays were always a quiet affair.

His father was always a busy man, and today was no exception. He had given him a plain birthday card with some money inside it for him to spend on whatever he chose. Hubert did not miss his father at all, though, but he supposed something was better than nothing. 

“You’ve grown quite big,” his mother said when they were enjoying their coffee together.

“I don’t feel particularly big,” he said. 

“You’ve most certainly grown taller,” she said. “Soon you’ll catch up to your father.”

She wasn’t wrong there. Hubert’s mother was a tall woman and he was already standing at her height. His father was even taller. But to contrast, he looked like a string bean and his hair was always growing, both out of control and too fast for him to cut. It was always greasy, no matter how hard he tried to scrub it clean while he washed it, just hours later, it would appear oily again. Said grease was always on his face, too, and no matter how clean it was or what products he used, he always had a large outbreak plain and clear on his face. 

Today, he had woken up to a massive birthday pimple on the tip of his chin that hurt like hell, even when he wasn’t touching it. Edelgard would surely point it out to him, just like she always did, and suggest a new skincare product for him to try that would inevitably not work. 

“Is _Edelg_ ard coming tod _ay_?” he said, his voice in half squeaks. His voice had begun to deepen as well. Hubert knew that by this time next year, his voice would be completely change instead of this squeaky mess he had to contend with. He hoped the acne would go away with that as well, but it had been constant and persistent for the last two years. 

“Yes, Hubie. She’ll be here with a big surprise I got you.”

“Not cake?” he said in disgust.

She ruffled his hair. "Of course not. We would never give you cake.”

Hubert sat at the dining room table and did his homework. Even though it was his birthday (and a day off from school), he still needed to maintain his grades, otherwise his father would eliminate his extracurricular activities. There would be no more chess club, no more model Adrestia club, or chemistry club, or even his piano tutoring. His father would take them away, one-by-one, starting with his piano classes, and Hubert didn’t want that to happen. Especially since he was now good enough to tutor Edelgard in it. She didn’t have a natural ear for music, but Hubert knew with enough practice, she would become a competent player.

Edegard had arrived with her mother. Although she was just eleven years old, Edelgard acted like a person his age, albeit with a haughty disposition. It also helped she was just one grade behind him now. She took Hubert being one year ahead of her as a challenge to skip yet another grade and he gladly welcomed the competition. 

Many people thought it strange for a boy his age to be friends with an eleven year old, but Hubert paid those fools no mind. Edelgard was a good friend...and his only friend at that. 

“Happy birthday, Hubert! We came with your mother’s present!” Edelgard said, looking at her mother. 

“It’s so heavy, we needed to bring in a few men,” Edelgard’s mother, Ms. Arundel, said. Hubert was relieved her sketchy uncle wasn’t present. Hubert would have asked him to leave...if he could muster up the courage to do so.

There were movers entering his house, holding something large and black and…

“Is that a grand piano?” he asked. 

Hubert generally didn’t feel excitement during his birthdays, but as he saw the piano being lifted and placed into his living room. His body almost shook with excitement and in an effort to tone it down, he tried to channel one of his father’s neutral, nonplussed facial expressions.

He touched the piano, feeling the smooth wooden surface of its lid, then the music rack, and the fall board…

“Excuse me, young man,” one of the movers said, putting a bench next to where Hubert stood. 

“Of course,” he said. He was eager to open the fall board and start playing. It was his birthday, after all, he could do anything he wanted. 

“Aren’t you going to play?” his mother asked. “He’s a phenomenal player, Patricia. Thank you for helping me move this thing in. Now I can hear him play.”

“I'm great too, you know!”

“Hush,” Hubert said, teasing. “You’re only a novice, but if you mean to say you can play the ABCs phenomenally, then I shall not correct you there, Edelgard.” He went through the pieces he had memorized as to which would be his first piece. Perhaps Blue Skies and a Battle would be a decent first piece. _No. The Apex of the World will do._ He opened the fall board with as much delicacy as he could. It was getting more and more impossible to contain his elation.

Hubert bowed to his mother, Ms. Arundel, and Edelgard before taking his seat and getting lost in the melody of his piano.

* * *

_Present Day_

Hubert couldn’t believe he was turning thirty today. To him, the concept of age seemed superfluous to him, but for some reason, he never imagined he would make it this long. Or rather, the age of thirty always seemed so far away.

But here he was now. Aged thirty.

 **How did your day go?** Bernie always sent him the same text every day, right around the time he would leave work. When they first met, she would text him that as a formality (or so he believed), but nowadays, it was a routine for her to send the same text at the same time, five days a week. It was one of the small things he looked forward to on a daily basis. He also suspected it was part of a check-in to make sure he wasn’t overworking. It was really comforting to know it was possible she cared for him in this way.

**Busy, per usual. My evening looks to be quite as busy as well.**

**Oh no!** His phone buzzed again as he left his office. **Are you going to be trapped in meetings all night? <_> I hope you’re not exhausting yourself! **His chest fluttered at the idea of Bernie being so concerned with his occasionally excessive work habits. 

He hadn’t told Bernie when his birthday was but he figured that now was the right time to tell her. **I will have dinner with Edelgard today. It’s a yearly tradition we have on my birthday.**

He was not expecting her to call him during his walk inside the parking lot. He answered the call. 

“Today’s your birthday?” she yelled on the other line. 

“Indeed it is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me!”

“It simply never came up.”

“Oh.” Bernie paused. “Um, happy birthday, Hubert. How old are you turning?”

“Thirty.”

“ _What_?!” For a split second, he expected her to call him out for being older. “You’re turning this huge milestone and you didn’t tell me?!”

“You are already in the middle of a commission for me. I would not want to burden you with such trifles.”

“But...um...Actually, it should be finished by tomorrow. Then maybe we should celebrate together if you’re not too busy!”

Edelgard waylaid him while he was still walking to his car. “Hubert? Hubert!” He looked in her direction. ”Is seven-thirty or eight okay with you?”

"Excuse me." He placed the phone in his hand. “Seven thirty is adequate for me,” he said a little too quickly. He should have known better.

“Who are you on the phone with?”

“A friend,” he said. It felt weird to have a conversation with Bernie and Edelgard joining at the same time. He felt...torn.

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “A friend?” He could almost hear what she was _not_ saying. _You have friends?_

 _Well, now I_ have _to inform Edelgard about Bernie. I have no choice._

“I see,” she said. Hubert knew she’d touch upon the subject later that evening. “I’ll await your arrival.” Her tone indicated that it would be a _definite_ topic of discussion. She left, entering the chauffered car that awaited her.

He put the phone back to his ear. “My apologies, Edelgard wanted to confirm the time we’d meet. I did not mean to leave you up in the air. You were saying something about us celebrating?”

“Um, yes!”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Um, I dunno, but I’ll see if there’s anything going on, maybe. I don’t mind an outdoors day for us this time! Unless you want to do something else?” 

Hubert had other things in mind as to what he wanted to do, but he wouldn’t have dared to mention any of that to Bernie. “I’ll let you surprise me.”

“Okay! Have fun with Edelgard!”

“Goodbye, Bernie. And thank you for wishing me a happy birthday.” He hung up the call and drove home. All he could think about on the way home was where Bernie would possibly take him tomorrow.

*

Edelgard had chosen his favorite wine for tonight, the Cabernet Sauvignon. The taste was decidedly bitter and even though Edelgard was disinterested in the taste of bitter foods and drinks, he appreciated the gesture. 

They were in her salon sitting by a fireplace, where she had her personalized table glass chess set. It was a gift from Hubert from when she turned twenty-five. He wasn’t in love with her anymore at that point, but he wanted to commemorate something that reflected their shared interests in board games. The glass pieces were sculpted to their favorite colors. Edelgard’s were a bloody bright red, Hubert’s black. The game was in session.

“Thirty,” she began, sipping her wine while he made his obligatory first move. “Quite the age you’re turning.”

“I suppose. It is just another birthday.”

“I’ve been thinking about the past lately. I know you’ll want to hear nothing about nostalgia but this isn’t such talk. Do you remember when we were younger, Hubert, and how you used to pour yourself into the piano your mother gave you? I remember that day you got it like it was yesterday. I had never seen you look so excited before!”

“I would rather not.” Flashes of a long concealed memory of his father throwing out the destroyed piano came to mind. His father wanted nothing to do with the sound of music being heard throughout the house after his mother died. 

By that point, Hubert had nothing but contempt for his father, but that had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

“Okay, then perhaps my birthday surprise wasn’t a good idea.”

“What did you do, Edelgard?” He was distracted enough that Edelgard made an opening and took out his knight. This game was not boding well for him.

“You’ll have to see,” she said. “But you’ve reached a new milestone. Why not enjoy the things you used to care about?”

He had a feeling she probably bought him a piano. Edelgard was pretty obvious. It would probably collect dust in his apartment. Then again, his apartment was usually spotless anyway. That was incorrect. It would just be a pretty ornament to decorate his rather austere apartment. 

They resumed their game. Hubert decided it was futile to continue forward as Edelgard had distracted him enough to pull him into checkmate. He put his king in her vicinity and took a large gulp of wine.

“Checkmate,” she said.

He would have to focus on the next game. Edelgard was his equal when it came towards chess. He would have to try a new tactic. 

“So,” Edelgard said. 

“Not now,” Hubert said. He took another sip of wine while contemplating his next move. He calculated Edelgard’s next moves and how he could best her. 

He kept his eyes fixed on the board. He only began to relax when he saw he had an advantage over her. But only barely. Edelgard liked to lull her opponent into feeling a false sense of security before she’d strike. 

A few moves later, he saw his opening.

“Checkmate,” he said. 

“Good game, Hubert.” 

“Likewise.”

There was silence as they picked up the pieces. “As I was about to say earlier, I wasn’t aware you made a new friend.”

He knew she would bring this up. He was trying to figure out how to bring up Bernie, but Edelgard had thrown the ball in his court before he could.

Hubert opened his mouth, but no words came out. So he played his turn instead. When it was Edelgard’s turn, he spoke. “I’ve been seeing someone, actually.”

“What?” Edelgard down knocked a piece down on the board in her apparent excitement. “You’re seeing someone?! What’s their name? What do they do? What are they like? When can I meet them!” He knew Edelgard would get excited and ask all of the probable probing questions. He felt...overwhelmed by her enthusiastic reaction. Unfortunately, that visibly showed with a rare blush forming around his cheeks. He knew this would happen and yet he couldn’t hide it. He tried hiding it with his wine glass, but the contents were nearly empty. He would have to refill it immediately if he wanted to survive this conversation. “My, Hubert! You’re blushing!”

It seemed he couldn’t hide his blush from her. “Her name is Bernie,” he said while pouring another glass of wine.

“Bernie! I’m so happy for you, Hubert! Tell me more! I want to know everything.”

“She’s the tailor I've been commissioning as of late.” He chuckled at the memory of their meeting. Despite their mutual embarrassment, enough time had passed for him to look back at it and laugh. He told her the story of their first meeting, full of misunderstandings and their subsequent apology tours. 

Edelgard laughed. “She sounds cute. I think you’re quite handsome, but I can see how someone can find you so intimidating! The poor girl! When did you realize you liked her?” Hubert disagreed with her on the handsome aspect. She had known him for well over twenty years. She had already grown used to his face. Most women would ignore him otherwise. It was enough for him to believe this entire situation with Bernie was inconceivable.

“Immediately so, Edelgard.”

She took a large gulp of wine. “And here I thought you were incapable of all this! I know I said this, but I’m so happy for you! I _did_ notice that there was a change in your behavior but I would have never guessed you were seeing someone!”

He could tell her about their first meeting, but he couldn’t bring himself to bring up his impatience getting the best of him and giving her that unprompted kiss. He yet again began to wonder when they would kiss again. _If_ she would allow it. If there was a single wish he wanted for his birthday, it was that.

“I simply _have_ to meet her, Hubert.”

“I know.” There was no going past that. He knew that Edelgard would insist on meeting Bernie. “A word of caution, however: Bernie is a bit shy.” He knew there was more to her shyness and this nagging feeling he couldn’t shake that something was deeply wrong regarding her. If he were to warrant the most basic of guesses, it would have to do with her past. Hubert knew very little about her in that regard. Even her last name was a mystery to him. He knew better than to probe her.

He thought of the ways she would insult herself and say such untrue things. How easily she cried and began to panic. Definitely not someone to probe.

“I’m sure we can arrange a time together.” She smiled. “I’m excited to meet her, Hubert! I almost can’t believe you kept this from me for this long!”

“I had my reasons,” he said. 

She squealed, something she rarely did. Hubert surmised it was probably the liquor’s effect on her. “I’m so happy for you! But enough for that, let’s get back to our game!”

* * *

Bernadetta awoke the following day feeling refreshed. She had finished Hubert’s commission, rendering her done with her workload. There was always a cycle to her work process. She would get the requests, make them her sole focus for a period of time, often putting in extra hours and care into them for the best possible quality, finish, and then enjoy the time she had before her need to do more increased. 

She supposed right now would be the honeymoon phase of her cycle, where she was free of all obligations and could relax and enjoy the smaller things in her life, guilt free. In a few days, she would start to feel the impulse to create, but for now…

She still didn’t know Hubert’s food preferences so she stuck to making him coffee cakes again. It wasn’t as though he disliked them. Rather, he made a point of how much he enjoyed eating them. _Stick to what you know, Bernie._

Bernadetta would make him a big cake and light a candle with him. It would be a surprise. 

**When would you like me to come pick you up?** His message had arrived later than usual. 

**Hmm in about two hours.**

That would give her ample time to make this cake and get dressed. 

As time rolled on, she felt an anticipation she never could have seen. She felt nerves going up and down her body. It felt as though there was electricity moving forth all over her body. She didn’t feel this way before their last date. 

Perhaps it was the fact that she was giving him the element of surprise. 

She wanted to do more for him, give him something that would commemorate his thirtieth birthday. 

She messaged Leonie, letting her know she was going to be out for the time being. **Going out with Hubert this afternoon. Might not be home when you get back.**

Leonie replied about fifteen minutes later. **Gotcha.**

Bernadetta already knew that Hubert would be on time. The moment when she felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter at their worst, he was at her doorstep. He wore a sweater today, the peony on the collar pinned to the collared shirt underneath it. 

“Hey!” she said.

“Good afternoon, Bernie.” he said.

“Happy belated birthday! Um, your suit is over there.” It was hanging on one of the dining chairs. She made a point to place the cake in the center of the table, with the single candle already lit. She caught the change in expression when he saw the cake. “Um, surprise!”

“You— didn’t have to, Bernie.” He was staring at her a little too hard. She wondered if he didn’t like surprises.

“I wanted to! I know this is the third time I’ve made you coffee cake, but I know you really like them. I hope you’re not tired of them yet!”

Hubert shook his head. “I don’t believe I’ll ever grow tired of them.”

“So um, yes! Go blow out the candle and make a wish so we can eat!” 

He stood across from her at the dining hall table. Bernadetta noticed his gaze never left hers as he blew out the candle.

“If I’m being honest, I haven’t had a birthday cake in...decades now. I don’t have a taste for sweets in the slightest, but this is an exception,” he said as she cut the cake and served a slice on a small plate. "Perhaps due to how bitter you make it."

Bernadetta felt a vindication of sorts, but also mentally jotted down that he didn’t like sweets and had a preference for bitter foods. She recalled how he went out of his way to get her personalized chocolates on their first date. _He really is putting in effort._ “I can always make this for you whenever you like.”

“Perhaps it’s best not to,” he said, his gaze affixed to the suit. “I’d like to keep my measurements.”

“It’s okay, Hubert! I can always alter the size a little even if you do gain weight. It wouldn’t be a problem! In fact, you’re starting to look a little healthier, even!” She caught Hubert’s cheeks turning a slightly pink twinge. 

He spoke again after a few beats of silence. “By the way, I was with Edelgard last night.”

“Oh right! How did that go?”

Hubert cleared his throat. “I told her about you, actually.” Bernadetta raised an eyebrow. Was she really important enough for Hubert to tell the person he was closest to about her? “She has expressed an interest in meeting you. You don’t need to meet her immediately, but she knows that...” Hubert tried to find the words. “She knows that I am seeing someone.”

“I don’t mind meeting her!” She now knew that Edelgard’s reputation preceded her and she looked just as overwhelming as Hubert did, albeit in a different way. Edelgard seemed authoritative, very in control and calm and collected. 

That led to a different train of thought. _If Hubert brought me up to Edelgard, does this mean we’re serious? What does this mean? What does this mean!_ She remembered that it probably naturally came up in conversation thanks to Edelgard barging in the middle of their call. But still.

“Whenever you’re ready, Bernie. We can schedule a time to meet.”

“Okay!”

They ate their cakes in a comfortable silence. Bernadetta noticed this was one of the first instances they were quiet in a room with one another and the two of them not completely put off by the silence. 

“Bernie,” Hubert said, breaking the tranquility between them. “Are you still up for, how did you put it? 'An outdoors day'?”

She nodded. “Yup! There’s this really cool exhibition at the gardens today. Actually, it started right around yesterday evening but I really want to see it before it’s over.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” he said. 

“Um, let’s just get ready, then. Make sure you take your suit with you!”

Bernadetta was a little bit nervous about the exhibition today. It was...rather unconventional. If her love of carnivorous plants was unusual, then this one would _really_ test his patience. She had heard of these plants and had always wanted to see one in bloom, but never had the opportunity to. 

This was her chance.

“What’s the exhibition?” Hubert asked as they walked around the gardens.

“Um, it’s this really big plant inside their greenhouse. It’s not native to Fodlan, actually.”

“The one with the tall stem?”

She nodded. “It’s bloomed. It takes about six to ten years for it to bloom, and it only lasts between eight hours to a day and a half, and well, I’ve never seen it before.” _But that isn’t what I’m concerned about._

“A late bloomer, I suppose?” he joked. 

“Yeah!” Bernadetta thought of her own past. She herself was a late bloomer growing up. She didn’t experience her growth spurt until she was nineteen. “I um, I can relate. Oh, um. I should warn you, it’s a little bit weird.”

“You have my curiosity now.”

There was a small line to enter the greenhouse.

“I see this is quite the popular exhibit,” he said. “This flower must be quite the sensation.”

“I hope it’s still in bloom,” she said, wringing her hands.

“When did it start blooming?”

“Last night, actually. So I think about fifteen? Sixteen hours? I heard the gardens were open late last night because of this flower.”

People walked out together out of the greenhouse, putting them closer together to the entrance. The closer they got inside, the more pronounced the pungent odor became. 

Hubert didn’t comment on it until they entered. “It smells like rotting meat inside. It’s rancid.”

Bernadetta looked away from him. “Um, that would be the exhibition itself. The corpse flower.”

Hubert walked over to the plaque of the plant. “‘’ _Titania_ \- the titan arum’. How curious. Such a large plant and it emits such a powerful stench.”

“It’s a carrion flower,” she said. “The smell attracts insects as pollinators to make sure they spread pollen.”

“How useful. A true indication of springtime,” he said. He was taking this really well. 

“You um, don’t seem to mind the smell too much,” she said. She pulled out her phone and took pictures.

Hubert smirked. “Not at all. Once you get past the malodor of the plant, you can fully appreciate it for what it is. Thank you, Bernie.”

“Huh? For what?”

“For showing me such a fascinating exhibition, and for my birthday, no less.”

“Oh, um. Do you want a picture? I took some good ones!”

Hubert hesitated. She wondered if he was insincere about his interest for a second, yet his earlier tone indicated otherwise. “I would prefer to have a picture of…" He hesitated, "I’m not one for pictures, but I’m willing to make an exception if we’re both in it.”

“Sure!” Bernadetta wasn’t one for selfies, either, but she huddled next to Hubert as he took a photo of them, the titan arum behind them. His hand lightly grazed her back as they huddled together. She smiled. Hubert had something of a smile on his face, too, and it didn’t scare her. “Send it to me!” she said. “It’s cute.”

They walked out of the greenhouse, her hand finding his. They were cold and she interlaced her fingers with his.

Her heart began to race at his touch, the feel of his hand holding hers. They warmed at her touch. 

She was astonished by how comfortable she felt around him these days. She thought about her earlier notion that this could be serious. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad thing. But for now, she was just going to enjoy the time she had with him on this beautiful spring day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a lovely art piece of Hubert & Bernie's greenhouse date and their encounter with the titan arum. They are such wonderful dorks and I love how you captured them! https://twitter.com/lycheeloving/status/1238114818147495939?s=20


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert plots and plans and dreams while Bernadetta spends time with her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally was going to split this chapter into 2 because of the length but I decided a few days ago it was better off with it just being one 5k chapter (I rarely go near or above this limit but oh well) plus I didn't have enough for a 2nd part so I thought just merging it was fine. Not to mention the DLC will come out soon so perhaps it's best to leave off with a nice, meaty chapter! Idk how involved I might get with that and if it'll affect my writing during my upcoming vacation from work. I'm really looking forward to seeing Bernie's extra support with one of the DLC characters and I'm hoping for good chemistry and a good ending!
> 
> Also things start to get a *teeny* bit spicy here, but I don't think I'll go overtly explicit, but it's a reason why this fic is rated M.

He didn’t know how he got here. How they got here. One moment, they were at the botanical gardens, their fingers intertwined as they enjoyed the exhibition. The flower’s scent was putrid, but its purpose was being a carrion plant, plus Bernie’s passion for the oddest plants was exhilarating to watch. 

She had a predilection for carnivorous plants, yes, but she also adored seeing unusual and exotic ones, as well as perennials and even the most common plants. 

_ Exhilarating, yes.  _

But nothing as close to the feeling of exhilaration he was feeling now. 

He had no idea how it started, or how it happened, but he was back in her bedroom again, for the first time since their fateful meeting. When it was time for them to part, Bernie’s hand did not let go of his. Rather, she pulled him closer and closer to her. She was alluring, and Hubert couldn’t help but think of himself like an insect, buzzing towards her as though she were a carnivorous plant. 

She was back in his arms again, his mouth on hers. She tasted bittersweet, just as she did the first time he kissed her. He parted her lips with his tongue, running it through her teeth. Her tongue teased his, making him come alive. He broke apart from her and led her to the bed.

Her bed was crowded with supplies, just as it was the evening they met, but instead of tidying up, he carelessly shoved the supplies to the floor with one hand before gently pushing Bernie onto the bed. One knee rested between her thighs as they shared a gaze. Her eyes were so large, they stared into his soul. 

Her bed was small, much smaller than his, but he would use that to his advantage. He never wanted to let go of her. Ever. Not as long as he could help it. In this case, the enclosed space was perfect. He wanted to be close to her. He  _ craved  _ it _.  _

Bernie was special. She  _ saw _ him. He felt pulled out from the inside, his true self drawn to her. His entire body tensed as she pushed her body upwards towards him. He knew she could feel his desire, his yearning for her heightening from her touch. 

He lowered himself, meeting her lips for a kiss. 

Her arms stretched forward, tugging him at his sleeves. He broke the kiss, and took off his sweater, throwing it somewhere on the floor. It didn’t matter where it landed. 

He pinned her by her wrists against the bed. “Bernie,” he whispered against her ear. “Beautiful Bernie.”

She whimpered, the noise causing him to go into overdrive. Her legs wrapped around his waist and with them, she pushed him towards her. He wanted her so badly. To be with her in the most intimate of ways. 

“Bernie,” he said, his hands sliding up from their place on her wrists, his fingers interlacing with her. Her fingers were calloused but still, to him, they felt so delicate. He wanted to kiss her fingertips. He felt insatiable from her touch.

“Hubert.” Her saying his name like this did things to him. "Hubert…"  _ That’s it. Say my name. Say you want me as badly as I want you. _

He kissed her already swollen lips. “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. How I long to know your name. Your true name. The name of the one that I lo — ”

*

Hubert woke up, his body uncharastically hot and sweaty, the sheets firmly crumpled in his hands. He was in his bed, in his apartment, utterly alone.

_ What on earth was that? _

He wiped his brow and found his phone sitting over at his nightstand, fully charged. He usually checked for messages these days before even checking the time. 

He was met with a wallpaper of him and Bernie photographed together at the botanical gardens, the bloomed titan arum behind them. Hubert’s lips were upturned, admittedly due to an exhilaration from Bernie consenting to be in a picture with him. He knew he wasn’t photogenic, but now he had something concrete of them being together. 

She looked so beautiful in the picture, so radiant and in her element and he couldn’t help but think he had played a role in her vibrancy. He was tempted to crop himself out of the picture but at the same time he felt a sense of pride seeing them together like this.

Whenever he looked at this picture a small voice asked him if they were in a relationship,? He wanted to ask her if that was the case. But he couldn’t just ask her that. 

He still thought of the kiss they shared all that time ago every moment they weren’t together, moments like right now when he was alone with his thoughts. He wanted to make it happen again, but knew it was better not to rush things between them.

When his insecurities were at their worst, Hubert wondered if he was just a placeholder for someone more conventional, more charismatic, or perhaps he was simply someone she had only agreed to date for a time. This sweeping insecurity was quite bothersome, but their last date quieted those thoughts. For the time being, anyway.

Their last outing together — his birthday celebration — affected him in such a way that he couldn't fathom. He couldn’t stop thinking about the tiny surprises she laid out in store for him. The cake, the candle, and the date itself. All of it was simply perfection. 

_ “Go blow out the candle and make a wish so we can eat!”  _

_ You’re my wish. You. _

It was only a matter of time until he’d get one of those dreams, he surmised. He used to have similar ones about Edelgard, but they paled in comparison to this one he just experienced. She felt almost real to him, he questioned if it wasn’t a memory. 

He shut off his alarm, which was poised to go off in a few minutes. He figured after having a dream like that, he would have to have a cold shower. He didn't have time to dwell on it. 

Hubert scrolled to his messages and saw Bernie’s name. He hovered over the keyboard.  **Morning. I take it you slept well last night.**

She told him the other night that her friends had whisked her away into an impromptu trip to Derdriu via train.

It meant they wouldn’t be going out on any dates anytime soon and Hubert felt particularly sluggish and unmotivated today. He hated this feeling, this foolish notion of feeling separated from her. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t simply communicate with her via the touch of his fingertips.

**It feels weird being here, but my friends have a really comfy bed. I’ve never been to Derdriu before so I’m excited to see the city! How did you sleep, Hubert?**

_ I dreamt we were in your bed, with you beneath me.  _ But there was no way he could possibly say that. So instead he replied with a tepid,  **I slept well. Do you have plans today?**

**I think my friends are going to show me their workplaces? Probably take me around? It’ll be exhausting but I’m kind of excited! (✯ᴗ✯)**

He found himself feeling...satisfied by this. Even though they were separated and he wanted to see her again more than anything, he felt gratification at the thought of her seeing new sights and exploring new places. She was such a curious soul, despite her reclusiveness. Perhaps later, he would take her to Derdriu himself and she would show him everything that was to her liking.. 

_ There you go, hoping and wishing for something that may not come to fruition.  _

**I’m looking forward to hearing your stories.**

Hubert made coffee, his eyes on the piano Edelgard had ordered for his birthday. It was white with gold embellishments and contrasted greatly with the rest of the room. Edelgard didn't have to go and get him such a ludicrously expensive gift for his birthday. When the delivery arrived, he tried to fight her on it but she used the argument that turning thirty was a huge milestone and that he was among her only family left. He couldn't refuse it after hearing that. 

He wondered if playing it, even for a minute, would do anything to calm him down, but he soon brushed the thought aside and drank the rest of his coffee before getting ready for work.

He wore his new black pinstripe suit to work today. It felt appropriate to wear today, more than ever since Bernie was out of town. 

“I’ve never seen that one before,” Edelgard said when he entered her office today with a stack of papers he drafted for her to read through. “It looks good on you.”

“My g — ...Er...Bernie made it.”

Edelgard’s mouth went wide open. “Your girlfriend did that? Was it from scratch?” Hubert held back a sigh when he heard Edelgard say the exact word he was trying to avoid.

“I sent her a template, but yes.”

“When am I going to meet her?” The month had just ended and he wasn’t able to successfully arrange a meeting for Edelgard and Bernie. Edelgard was busy most weekends and the one weekend she had free, Bernie was out of town. 

“I’m afraid not this weekend,” he said. “She is currently in Derdriu with friends.”

Edelgard pouted. “What a shame. I really want to meet this girl!”

“I wouldn’t call it a shame,” Hubert said. “I welcome the change in her horizons.” He longed to see her again, but ultimately she had expressed a degree of enthusiasm for her short trip. If she was feeling that way, then he would readily accept the prospect of her leaving. "If you feel that disappointed, then I can always indulge you with a picture we took together on our last outing." No one knew that Hubert recently changed his personal policy of cell phone usage from going under lock and key to hiding it in his pocket. He wanted to answer Bernie as soon as he could whenever he heard the phone vibrate but recently he would stare at the photo the two of them were in. It gave him the momentum he needed to continue through the day. 

Edelgard gasped. “Then what are you waiting for? Show me!”

Hubert scrolled to his gallery, which was full of work and document related pictures, as well as a few photo-ops of Edelgard in a group setting, and tapped on the one he had with Bernie, his most recent. He didn’t want his subordinates to know about his private life, but Edelgard was the only exception. He handed his phone to her.

“Aww,” she said. She pressed her fingers together to properly zoom in the picture. “She’s adorable! I didn’t know you’d go for the cute type! I can’t wait to meet her!” He felt his face going red and he hid his blush by placing his hands on his face, as though to cover up. “You keep blushing whenever I bring her up. You must really like her!”

To say that was a massive understatement. 

“To change the subject,” she said, giving him back his phone. “How is the social media training going for you?” Edelgard asked. 

He was tempted to come clean and admit it was a front for Lysithea to help Hubert with his dates and planning them, but ultimately went against it. But still, he did learn a few things about internet etiquette and despite her forceful nature, Lysithea was a good teacher. “I don’t understand memes,” he said. 

“Memes? What about them?”

“They’re...rather mercurial, and often abstract. Lysithea insisted on using a campaign picture of you and writing ‘Hoes Mad’ above and below your face.”

Edelgard laughed. “Of course she would. She’s from the Alliance. They tend to be quite lively over there with that sort of thing. You’ll be an expert in no time!”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I must make certain that everything is going smoothly for the day.”

Lysithea was in his office. “Hey Hardass,” she said. 

Hubert was starting to think of her in a more considerably positive light. “Good morning,” he said. 

“How’s it going with your girlfriend?”

“She’s out of town at the moment. I’m afraid your advice is not needed for the time being.” 

Lysithea sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her hands. “Just because she’s out of town doesn’t mean you can’t do that romantic stuff, or that you get a free pass!” 

Hubert opened his mouth, but Lysithea interrupted him. 

“My advice has been rather sound, hasn’t it?” Hubert thought back to all of the things she came up with. The flowers, chocolates, the stuffed animal… Lysithea was competent with these things. “You know what? All my friends are out of town, too. I don’t know why people think this weekend is the perfect time to make a getaway.”

“What is it you’re suggesting?”

“Buy her some more gifts. Surprise her when she gets back with them. Get her something she’d like!”

“I see. If your friends are not in town and neither is she, then perhaps we ought to collaborate some more on this after work.” 

Lysithea shrugged. “I have nothing better to do, and Cyril’s busy anyway, so let’s!”

“Good. Now please kindly get out of my office,” he said, attempting to keep his tone friendly. 

“You don’t have to tell me twice, Hardass. It’s not like I  _ want _ to be in your dark and gloomy office, anyway. Seriously, did a vampire decorate this room?” she said, her voice teasing.

Hubert was surprised to notice he and Lysithea quickly formed an odd bond of sorts. "I'm afraid if you'll stay here any longer, you might become bored, or even depressed. Surely you've heard the rumors about spending too much time in this room."

Lysithea left, a small smile forming on her face. Hubert also wore a light smirk as he opened a tab on his computer and searched for gifts he could get Bernie. 

But as he brainstormed the gifts he could get her alongside the hobbies she did, he realized there was an infinite amount of things he could get her. Perhaps he knew her better than he initially thought. 

* * *

_ Derdriu’s beautiful _ , Bernadetta thought as she and Marianne took a trolleybus around the city. The streets were lined with cobblestone pavement and the trolleybus rides were so relaxing to be on. All of the sights were scenic and picturesque, with boats moving slowly in a harbor and houses lined in hilly streets. The water looked so serene and relaxing. Bernadetta regretted not bringing her sketchbook with her on this trip so she could doodle this moment and later make it into a painting. 

Leonie and Hilda were running an errand at the shop, but Marianne wanted to take Bernadetta to the rehab center anyway. She had always been interested in meeting the animals. Bernadetta liked animals. They weren’t like people and they couldn’t hurt you. Not intentionally, anyway.

“Dorte wants to meet you!” she said. 

“Your horse?”

“He’s my best friend, too!” Bernadetta remembered her saying something similar a couple of months ago. “Dorte used to be a racehorse, but he had an injury while on the track. His owners wanted to put him down, but I told my adoptive father he should be saved.”

“What about Hilda? Isn’t she your best friend?”

“She’s my best human friend. We’ve known each other for a long time. She was always so nice to me, yet I didn’t understand why.”

“Hilda’s really nice, though!” she said. 

“She’s like that with everyone. But I think she can see through people. She can see when they’re sad or stressed. I didn’t really understand what she saw in me, but I’m grateful for it now.” Marianne pressed a button located on a yellow pole. “Our stop is coming up.”

Bernadetta was surprised to see what looked like a farm located in such a modern city like Derdriu. There were mostly horses and birds. It wasn’t actually very farm-like, as it had an office at the entrance that resembled a doctor’s office. 

She immediately recognized Dorte when she entered the proper farm. It wasn’t because she had seen a picture of him previously, or because she spent dozens of hours constructing an identical plush, but because he saw Marianne walking in the vicinity and began to give her affection. 

“Hello Dorte. This is my human friend, Bernie! She’s the one who made your plushie!” Marianne walked to a nearby area and grabbed the plushie. At the sight of the doll, Dorte whinnied and wiggled his lip, then bowed at her. Bernadetta glanced at Marianne. Did she...was she able to actually communicate with the animals?

“He wants you to pet him. He’s also giving you thanks for making his new friend!”

“Hey there.” She tentatively held up her hand as though to pet him.

“It’s okay. He likes to be patted.”

His mane was soft to the touch. “He’s nice!”

“He likes you.”

“I like him too!” Marianne handed Bernadetta a banana for Dorte to snack on while she pet him. As she did so, some of the animals began to crowd around them, as though they were closely observing Bernadetta. She felt strange around humans whenever all eyes were on her, but with animals, it was a different kind of strange. An nice kind of strange. “Is this normal?’

“Oh! They’re just curious about you, that’s all.”

One of the animals in particular got really close to Bernadetta. A crow with a broken wing. He hopped over to her foot, scrutinizing her with its beady eye. After a second, he hopped on Bernadetta’s shoe and remained perched there, giving it an odd kind of weight. She remained still. “Um, he’s on my foot. What does that mean?”

The crow cawed. 

Marianne giggled. “He likes you, too! He wants to get to know you.” Marianne bent down and picked up the crow. “His name is Bertram.” She held him in her hands. The bird didn’t even move. It was definitely not this normal to be this in tune with animals. “Maybe you should hold him.”

"Are-Are you sure?" 

Marianne giggled. "Yes! I wouldn't be suggesting it if he didn't like you!" 

Bernadetta carefully grabbed the crow, whose wing fluttered for a moment, causing her to nearly let go of him in her surprise. He remained in her arms. “I’ve read a bit about these guys. They’re pretty smart, aren’t they?”

“They can recognize human faces and they pick who they like and don’t like. I’m afraid Bertram’s really taken a shine to you, Bernie!” Bernadetta’s fingers grazed the top of Bertram’s head. He cooed. Marianne giggled. “He might not want to let you go!”

“I like him, too. But I don’t think Leonie would want a crow in the house.”

Bertram squaked. 

“Bertram, you know you can’t stay here forever,” Marianne said. “When your wing is healed, you have to go back. But maybe you’ll run into Bernie again sometime soon!” Marianne took out her phone and got a picture of her and Bertram. “But at least we have a picture!”

*

After a while of them spending time with the animals, they got back on the bus to Hilda’s store. 

When Bernadetta saw the picture of her and Bertram, her first instinct was to send the picture to Hubert.  **I made a new friend! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ**

Hubert didn’t respond. He was at work right now so he was likely busy. 

“Hey you two!” Hilda said when they walked in her store. The walls were a bright pink and there were glass displays full of handcrafted jewelry and accessories. “Did you have fun at the rehab center?”

“We had a lovely time together!” Marianne said. 

“I made a new friend.” Bernadetta showed the picture of her and the crow. 

Leonie began to laugh.”You really know how to attract them, huh?”

“What do you mean?” Bernadetta asked.

“He looks like your boyfriend. He’s even got that grumpy face!”

Bernadetta began to look at the photo a little closer. Hubert and Bertram...were similar? At that moment, he messaged her back.  **The two of you look quite content together.** Leonie and Hilda saw the message flash at the top of the screen, which made Bernadetta flush furiously, as they also saw the image of them together as his contact photo. 

Hilda, naturally, was the first person to speak. “Is that a photo of the two of you, I see? Oooo, you better show us now, Bernie!” 

“Um...sure. He’s um...yeah.” She didn’t want to say he was pretty scary if you weren’t used to seeing him. 

She showed them the picture. Hilda and Marianne gasped. Bernadetta cringed. “That’s not what I expected.”

“I-is that bad?”

“Stop exaggerating, Hilda,” Leonie said. 

“I don’t think she is,” Marianne said. 

“Our sweet, shy Bernie has a brooding, corporate looking boyfriend! Who knew?”

Marianne spoke up. “Um, if I’m being honest, Leonie’s a little bit right. He kind of reminds me of Bertram a little.” Bernadetta took the phone back, eyed the photo of them, then the one with the crow. An idea pulsed through her mind for when she’d get back home Sunday night.

“So do you guys want to have lunch? Delivery or restaurant? We can eat anything we want since Miss Picky isn’t here. My treat!” Hilda said. “After all, the busy season for me is coming right up!” Bernadetta knew that it was likely that Hilda wouldn’t go to their weekly hangouts in the next month. People tended to commission her the most during this time of year for weddings.

“A restaurant sounds great!” Marianne said.

“I’ll go with anything you decide, you guys!” Bernadetta said.

“Can’t say no to that!” Leonie said. 

Hilda put her arm around Bernadetta. Even though Bernadetta sort of wanted to go home and start the new project she was itching for, she also wanted to hang out with her friends some more. She would be home by Monday, anyway, and once she was, she’d start working away on her new project.

*

Bernadetta had known that she was going to make a plush for Hubert as a belated birthday gift, but she didn’t know what form it would take. And then Bertram the crow literally fell on her foot and the rest was history. She began drafting a sketch of a crocheted crow based on Bertram the night she arrived home.

Derdriu was a wonderful city, and even though she only saw parts of it, she wanted to someday return and know the city a little better. She found the aqueducts and infrastructure fascinating and in many ways, it felt so much more modern than Enbarr. It was a shame she didn’t have her sketchbook on her, but at least she took what photos she could of the city. 

But she wanted to be home now and work on her crow crochet.

She was much happier the following day, coming off a small high at being in an unfamiliar place with friends.

“Today’s gotta be an indoors day, all right?” she told Captain Snufflekins and the hedgehog she named Peony. Most of the time whenever Bernadetta was awake. she would place Peony in her bear’s lap. At night, she would cuddle the two of them.

Her phone buzzed at around six at night. She was alone in the house, but she was so consumed in her work, the buzz took her out of it.  **I’m here. Is your shop open, perchance?**

**It’s not but I can make an exception. (◠‿・)—☆**

She was wearing a hoodie and shorts and her hair was a mess but she hadn’t seen Hubert in over a week. 

He was standing on her porch with bags in his hands.  _ More gifts?!  _

“Hey Hubert!”

“Good evening, Bernie. I brought you provisions in the form of carryout. That is to say, Two-Fish Saute and er, some sides. May I come in?” 

Bernadetta was shocked that Hubert was capable of surprising her like this.

“Is something the matter? I can always drop these provisions and leave if you wish to be alone.”

“Um, no! Don’t leave! I-I mean, I can help you with those bags, Hubert!”

“It’s of no consequence.”

She walked over to him and took two bags off his hands. 

He dropped the bags on the table while she gathered the plates and a pitcher of water for them. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon! And on a Monday! Did you think of a new commission for me?”

He chuckled as he began to portion the plates while standing up. “I’m afraid I may have engaged in a white lie, I require your forgiveness in that matter. I simply wanted to serve you tonight.”

Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest.  _ He’s adorable. Was he always this adorable? _

“Oh! Um, you’re forgiven. But don’t think you’ll be forgiven for lying to me next time!” She got closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m kidding, by the way.” She was pleasantly surprised how huggable he was around his stomach and abdomen. And how sweet he was.

“Good,” he said. “Now, we ought to eat our dinner before it gets cold. I’d like to know more about your trip.”

“Well, what do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

And so she told him everything. She told him about the train ride there and how exciting it felt, the way she saw the Derdriu skyline and the ducts. The way the ships just moved so slowly, as though without a care in the world. She told him about the streets and how they were layered with bricks and cobblestones and the way the streets often times were slanted. She told him about how pink and detailed Hilda’s shop was and how curious and friendly and happy the animals at Marianne’s rehab center were. 

Hubert nodded and listened as he ate his dinner. “You sound as though you had a pleasant time in Derdriu.”

“You know, I like being home, like right now I need to be away from it all, you know? But when I travel, I can enjoy the new things. I do have one regret, though.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t take my sketchbook with me! But that’s alright. I took lots of pictures of the scenery. I could show them to you, but I just remembered I left my phone upstairs!” She had been so excited to see him again that she had forgotten about her phone entirely.

“Your words are enough to paint a picture for me.” Hubert was quiet. “This reminds me of what you said, about your uncle.”

“What about him?”

“He was a traveler, yes?”

She nodded. 

“You seem to take great enjoyment in traveling. Why not take up that mantle as well?”

She couldn’t see herself doing that. “Oh, me? I’m...I don’t think I’d be very good at it. I'm a...I’m...a recluse.”

“And?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

Bernadetta couldn’t answer him. She looked away. 

He uncrossed his arms and went through a bag that was a little different than the rest. “I realize now I got you the incorrect gift, but I’ll assume I’ll have another chance to rectify my mistake.” She saw him pull out a notebook with a sail on it. It was a boat sailing into the night, but there was a rainbow there as well. It was beautiful.

_ A moonbow _ , she thought. 

There was a caption.  _ Let Your Dreams Set Sail.  _

“You said you enjoyed writing, too, did you not?”

“I do! Um, thanks, Hubert!”

“You’re most welcome. I quite enjoy gifting you.”

She accepted the notebook and smiled at him. Her hand found his and she allowed it to rest there for a little bit. She made eye contact with him, and she was unable to flinch. “Thanks, Hubert. Um, for dinner again!”

He let go of her hand and stood up. “I ought to help you with the dishes and trash, then take my leave. After all, today is Monday.”

_ Don’t leave.  _

She checked the time while they put away everything. He had been here for hours already. Since when did the hours pass so quickly when he was around?

“Of course. Yes. Um, see you, um…”

“Would Saturday be acceptable for you? Edelgard has been badgering me nonstop over the prospect of meeting you, but I find it essential for you to be okay with this before I can proceed.”

“Um, sure! I’m sure I can mentally prepare myself by then.” She hugged him at the door. His arms went around her. He was bony around there, but he seemed to try and hug her back, at the very least. Bernadetta felt her heartbeat speed up. “Thanks, for um, the surprise.”

“Would you enjoy it if I did this in the future?” His voice was a low whisper.

“Yes,” she said, closing her eyes. “It was a nice surprise. No one’s ever surprised me like this before!”

He laughed. She felt a low heat coursing throughout her body from his laugh in addition to their physical contact. “Then I’d be happy to oblige.”

She let go of him. Their eyes met. Her breathing sped up as she held his gaze. She was reminded of the night he kissed her, just outside her porch. If he were to do that again—right now — she didn’t know how she’d react. But there was one thing she knew for certain: she wouldn’t run away again. And that terrified her.

“Goodnight, Bernie.”

“Um, yeah. G-goodnight, Hubert! Drive safe!”

He left her, almost as though he were an apparition in her house with how everything was put away. The only memory of him was the notebook he had gifted her. She grabbed it and clutched it to her chest. She could feel her heart beating at an absurdly abnormal rate and it wasn’t stopping for anything.

_ Oh. _

_ Oh no. _

_ Am I...am I crushing on him? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have a writing [ Twitter !](https://twitter.com/Bear_of_Varley) I'll probably post like, progress and hcs, IDK yet.
> 
> It links to my regular, mostly fe twitter as well but like if you want to like scream with me it's cool.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta meets Edelgard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played the dlc and I can't get Edelgard calling Hubert a spring chicken at one point. 
> 
> Also I typically don't upload on Sundays but I have a week off from work and I should be able to progress a lot more in my draft. Hopefully that could mean a more active week of publishing.
> 
> Maybe.

Hubert spent the entire week thinking about how his surprise was a success. It reminded him of the days when he took chemistry. Of formulas and the different outcomes one could have. He was terrible at reading emotions, but he was noticing the changes with her. The ways she reacted when he did one thing, negative or positive. With Lysithea’s input, he was able to assess and move forward with what he could do with Bernie and how to make their...relationship of sorts work out.

The problem, the variable he could never count on, was Bernie herself. 

He could never accurately predict her reactions to his gestures. Most of the time, it worked out in his favor, but other times, something would go on in her inner mind, a _blockage_ of sorts, and she would shut down. It would often come through her sobs, her stuttering, or worse yet, her self-derogatory comments. 

She was easily overwhelmed and his greatest chance of reducing that was through comfort and warmth...two things he was nigh incapable of. It was moments like these when he wondered if he was an ideal suitor for her. If she would best benefit from someone who was more emotionally acute, more emotionally intelligent. 

But he didn’t want to give up on her. He wanted to keep seeing her and keep surprising her. At times, he was feeling uncharacteristically optimistic, a feeling he felt was most unfamiliar to him. Whether it was because he was dating her and exposed to her unexpectedly optimistic and sometimes childlike wonder he saw when she was detailing her new experiences. He thoroughly enjoyed every second of her lengthy descriptions of Derdriu and the things she’d seen. 

Yes, he felt alone to a degree whenever she wasn’t around, but he enjoyed seeing her look so peaceful and content. It was a far cry from the anxious girl he met months ago. 

That’s why he had a degree of concern for when she’d meet Edelgard. She was the most important person throughout most of his life, and yet, he desperately wanted Bernie to like her. They had contrasting personalities and he was cautious if Edelgard would say or do something that would upset her. 

Hubert picked her up from her home late Saturday morning. 

He advised her to wear something casual yet formal. Edelgard was someone who vastly preferred someone who at least showed some seriousness in their attire and Hubert knew she preferred cartoon hoodies. Thankfully, she wore a white sweater and a knee-length pink polka dot dress with a white ribbon tied to the waist. 

She looked more adorable than ever. 

“Good morning, Bernie.”

“M-morning, Hubert!” She sat in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. “How was your week?” He could hear the tremors in her voice. It reminded him of their first few meetings. She was so audibly nervous.

“Agonizingly slow,” he said, pulling away from her driveway. _I was so looking forward to seeing you again._

“Oh, same. I’m working on a side project right now but I think I’ll be done in a week or two with it.”

“You usually don’t take that long.”

“I’m back to doing some art for commissions! It’s all online, though. I actually majored in um, Graphic Design.”

“I did not know that,” he said. He knew he didn’t know much about Bernie, but during moments like these, he became painfully aware of that fact.

“Yep. I also majored in Literature. Minored in Fashion Design, mostly so I could learn more sewing techniques and stuff like that. I wanted to do more like Botany, but I just couldn’t.”

“A shame. But you likely would have exhausted yourself.”

Bernie laughed. Every time she did that, he felt his heart do small palpitations. “That’s funny that you of all people say that,” she said. 

“I suppose that’s true, indeed.” 

She kept laughing. It got quiet after her laughter had died out. Too quiet for his liking. He glanced over at her. She was turning the volume up on the radio.

“Is there something on your mind?”

“Um, nope! Nothing.”

Hubert didn’t like moments like these. Where it felt that she was too ashamed or embarrassed to tell him something. But he couldn’t just force her to trust him. “Is it nerves?”

She sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“I can detect it in your voice.”

“Y-you can?”

Even he was surprised by the revelation. “Yes. I wouldn’t be nervous about meeting Edelgard. Would it help if you told me as to why you are feeling this way?”

He saw her reclining back in her seat, her hands folded. “Well, she’s your best friend, right?”

Hubert never quite believed in the concept of “best friends” but for simplicity's sake, he would have to agree. “Yes.”

“And she’s kind of a big deal, isn’t she?”

Hubert couldn’t deny that. “Edelgard the politician is different than Edelgard the person. You will meet the latter. She does have a very serious disposition, but it would mean greatly to her—and myself—if the two of you were to meet.”

Even though he had the right to date whoever he wanted, he wanted Edelgard to like Bernie, to approve of his choice as the woman he was—

“You sound a little nervous too, Hubert.”

“That’s because I am. I suppose it’s what you’d call a pre-meeting adrenaline rush.”

“It’s kind of cute to see you be nervous.”

“Cute?” _Am I no longer the intimidating entity that terrorized your bedroom? The terrifying and frightening demon who would give petrifying grins during coffee?_ He kept his eyes firmly on the road, in an attempt to not to look too much into Bernie’s words. 

“Um...yup! It makes me feel a little better, if I’m being totally honest.”

It wasn’t the intended result but as long as her nerves, or rather _their_ nerves would be tempered, then everything would go smoothly. But he still saw no reason for her to be this apprehensive.

“Bernie…” he said. 

“Yes?”

“I really see no reason you should be nervous. You’re an innately likeable, charming person. Edelgard will immediately see that the moment she meets you.”

“Me? Charming?”

“Yes. Think about it like this. If she can tolerate my presence nearly every day, then she will surely like you.”

Bernadetta sighed. “Hubert...please don’t put yourself down like that. I think you’re likable, too.” 

There was nothing Hubert could say in response to that. 

“I, um...I wouldn’t have brought up dating you if I didn’t think so.” 

He didn’t know how the conversation shifted to that but suddenly he was tempted to leave one of his hands on the steering wheel and find Bernie’s hand, but he couldn’t afford any distractions when his thoughts were becoming more and more disorganized.

Was he really that likable of a person? Usually, he wasn’t bothered by such trivialities but it didn’t matter as long as only those he cared about liked him. 

And one of them happened to be Bernie.

* * *

Bernadetta had spent hours in front of the mirror earlier that morning. She was terrified at the prospect of meeting Edelgard, who was not only a woman with such a storied past and one ridden with equal parts adoration and controversy by people all over Fodlan, but also because she wanted to look good for Hubert. 

She never paid this much attention to her appearance before, but now, it mattered more than ever, that not a single hair was out of place and that she looked presentable. She didn’t know what makeup looked good on her and she knew she’d have to consult Hilda on this soon. She started to worry about the little things, like were her pores too big? Was her posture okay? Was her hair not long enough? She had been growing it out for a little bit but now she felt extra self conscious.

All she could think about was how her father spent decades telling her she was ugly. That no man would ever possibly find a genuine interest in her and her alone. 

Not to mention, her meeting Edelgard seemed like such a huge step in their...relationship? Was this a relationship? She was confused by this, now more than ever. She wanted to bring up the conversation. If Hilda were here, she’d call her silly and tell her to just ask. 

_Hubert, are you my boyfriend? Are we a couple?_

But she just couldn’t bring it up herself. _Just spit it out, Bernie!_

It was no surprise he picked up on her nerves, but she had at least other reasons to be nervous, at least for the time being, to properly mask it. She watched Hubert as he spoke to a security guard, who opened the gates to a gated community. 

She sucked in a deep breath as she saw sprawling mansions with perfectly manicured lawns.

“Those are...those are mansions, all right.” They were overwhelming to look at. She grew up in a large, isolated estate but seeing all of them so collectively and in such close proximity was daunting.

“Edelgard inherited it from her father after a very contentious court battle.”

“You don’t happen to live in one, do you?” Bernadetta immediately remembered he didn’t and corrected herself. “Right, you mentioned you live in an apartment. Gosh Bernie, you’re so stupid sometimes.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid. Not for a second, Bernie. You have two degrees and even a minor. I don’t understand why you keep selling yourself short like this. Forgetting I live in an apartment is something I wouldn’t waste my time on.” 

He made a turn into a driveway with a mansion that vaguely reminded Bernadetta of a castle with pointed roofs and multiple turrets. It looked very reminiscent of a home commonly seen in storybook illustrations.

“We’re here.”

“Oh.”

Hubert unfastened his seatbelt. “Are you ready?”

She gave him a nervous smile as their eyes met. She looked away. “Um, no. I can do this, though!”

The second they got out, she latched herself to him, finding his hand. Despite being on the steering wheel prior to this, his hand was cold. She thought her hands were too warm, too sweaty, and too clammy, and yet to her surprise, he didn’t complain. In fact, he squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.

Edelgard opened the door moments after Hubert rang the doorbell. Bernadetta found herself inching back, placing herself behind Hubert. He was big enough to cover up most of her. 

“Hubert! Good afternoon! You’re here!” There was confusion in her eyes. “Where’s…”

“Eep.” Bernadetta's head poked out from behind Hubert.

Edelgard was beautiful to look at, if Bernadetta was being honest. She was shorter than she was, but her countenance and her bearing said otherwise. The way she stood was as though she was taller than Bernadetta herself. She cowered behind Hubert some more.

“Edelgard, this is Bernie. She’s a bit shy.” He gave her a look that Bernadetta couldn’t recognize. Edelgard nodded at him.

“Um...hi!”

“Hello there, Bernie! I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you for weeks, but Hubert’s got you quite hidden. Even now, you remain hidden from me!”

Bernadetta showed herself, and made eye contact with Edelgard. She had large violet eyes and they were solely centered on her. Bernadetta tittered, hating the sound of her laugh. Were they talking about her behind her back? Was he complaining about how much of a recluse she was? How antisocial she was? Bernadetta pushed the thoughts away as they entered the mansion.

“I have snacks and pastries for you. Don’t worry, Hubert, I made sure to include coffee and cheese samples for you. Bernie, do you like sweets or cheese? I’m afraid I don’t know of your preferences. Hubert said you have quite the sweet tooth.”

Bernadetta swallowed dry air, not letting go of Hubert’s hand as they walked around the entrance. “Um, he’s...he’s right! S-sweets are nice. I like sweets! I don’t mind the cheese either, b-but I think sweets, maybe...um...”

Her home was so intricately decorated. There was a degree of calculation and precision to the way everything was placed. She was impressed by it, yet it all felt so intimidating.

Edelgard led them to a parlor, where the main attraction was a large fireplace on the other end of the wall. It was currently unlit. She smiled at them, but Bernadetta felt Edelgard’s eyes on her the entire time, even while they were walking and Edelgard was slightly ahead of them, Bernadetta felt as though Edelgard was evaluating her, scrutinizing her, as if violet eyes could see her from the back of her head. 

Edelgard sat down. “Please, take a seat!”

They sat down in an antique looking velvet loveseat. Bernadetta wondered if it was actually old or if it was made to look that way. Her furniture was just as refined as Edelgard was. 

She realized she was now under Edelgard’s full scrutiny as she offered her a plate of pastries. Bernadetta went with the sweet buns. She clung to Hubert, her side pressing against his. Even as she ate the pastry, she never let go of his hand.

“So, Hubert has told me all about you!”

“H-he did?”

“How long have the two of you been seeing each other?”

Bernadetta drew a blank. She gazed at Hubert. She hated herself right now. She was sitting right here, in front of Hubert’s best friend and she couldn’t form a single coherent thought. She squirmed in her seat, trying not to panic. “Um. I...”

“A couple of months now,” Hubert said in her stead. Bernadetta shot him an appreciative glance and snuggled slightly closer to him for safety.

She chewed on her pastry. She thought of the ways her mother taught her in terms of manners. How she had to chew, how she had to have correct posture, and how to sit. She was desperately failing at the third one. She was certain that “holding someone’s hand as though your life depended on it” was not on the list. 

_Useless, Bernie. Edelgard is going to hate you now._

Hubert’s gaze was on Edelgard, then Bernie and she squirmed in her seat. She wondered if taking a second pastry would be considered too rude. 

“Please, take as many as you like!” Edelgard said pointing at the tray. 

“Oh, um. Thanks!” _Oh no, she saw I was staring! How pathetic._

Hubert cleared his throat. “Bernie has expressed an interest in playing our board games. Perhaps we can teach her how to play one of them?”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “Has she? I’d be more than happy to do that. I suppose chess wouldn’t be too appropriate considering there’s three of us.” She got out of her seat and opened a cabinet that was full of games stacked on top of each other. “What about Peril?”

“Too heedlessly complex. Also, if I may, you have a win rate that far exceeds mine.”

“Then how about Scramble?”

Scramble? Bernadetta had heard of that one. “Is that the one with the letters all mixed up and you um, put them on a board for points?”

“Does this one catch your interest?” Edelgard said. 

“I’ve seen people play it in movies and I um...I like words. I’ve never tried it, though.” 

Silence. Hubert spoke up. “I wouldn’t mind playing this game.”

“Well, then. I’ll set up the table,” Edelgard said. She explained the basic directions to Bernadetta as she did so.

The three of them sat at a round table. Bernadetta’s hand was now too far away from Hubert’s and she desperately wanted to hold it again. Instead, she fiddled with the letters she was given as she worked to unscramble them. Hubert and Edelgard were silent as well.

“You’re quite good at this, are you sure it’s your first time playing?” Edelgard asked after a few rounds.

“I like words,” Bernadetta said. “And reading.”

“Who’s winning so far?” Edelgard asked Hubert, who was keeping score of the game. 

“Bernie. I’m afraid I’m in last place. I believe my luck may have not been on my side this time.”

“Or perhaps you need to read more instead of the similarly worded documents you read at work,” Edelgard said. She turned to Bernadetta. “He doesn’t bring his work to your dates, does he?”

Bernadetta shook her head. “No, he doesn’t.”

Edelgard laughed. “Then you’re a good influence on him if that’s so! I do worry constantly about Hubert taking home his work with him.”

“As you know,” he began, “I stopped doing that _months_ ago.”

“Yes, and instead you would stay in the office longer than everyone else. Again, even after I told you that it was taking a toll on your health.” She turned to Bernadetta. “I had been wondering why Hubert was leaving the office around the same time as everyone else throughout these past few months and it wasn’t until he told me about you was I able to piece it together.”

The game became more advanced and the board began to overfill with letters. Perhaps it was due to her absorption of the game, but she began to feel more comfortable in Edelgard’s presence. Only a little, though. She still felt as though she was only embarrassing herself around her.

“Oh, Hubert,” Edelgard said right after her turn. “You’re taking Bernie with you to my birthday party as your plus one, yes?”

Bernadetta saw Hubert visibly cringe at the mention of the party. Her blood ran cold. _Does he...not want to invite me to this party? I knew it! He doesn’t want to be seen with a person like me._

“W-what party?” she asked.

“I wanted to invite Bernie on my own time, Edelgard, but I’m afraid you’ve let the cat out of the bag,” Hubert said.

“I see. And to explain, my birthday is next month and I always throw a party around then. I like historical themes, so I redecorate my home to look like the Adrestia of old, of centuries ago! It’s really fun. We all dress that way, too!”

“Er, the party is the reason why I met Bernie,” he said.

That was news to her. “It is?”

“I commissioned a cape for it,” he said to Edelgard.

“Oh. That military outfit of yours probably needed something dramatic. A cape would probably do wonders for it,” Edelgard said.

“Did you not believe it to be odd I would request something so out of place?” Hubert asked.

Bernie giggled. She thought it was an odd request but ultimately, she didn’t care as long as she got money out of her commissions and Hubert was a generous payer. “Nope. I guess I just rolled with it.”

Hubert let out a low laugh. “Oh, Bernie.” His gaze fell on hers, his eyes conveying a look she couldn’t read. His lips were upturned in amusement. 

She gave him a small, nervous smile in return in a feeble attempt at being affable. 

“This is exciting!” Edelgard said, bringing her back to reality. She had almost forgotten she was in the room. “Everyone always brings their plus ones, except for Hubert. This’ll be his first time!” Both Bernie and Hubert looked away from each other. “You’re both so shy, it’s simply adorable.”

They played a few more rounds, and Bernadetta ended up winning the game. By that point, all of the food on both trays had been eaten. Bernadetta was starting to feel exhausted. She had been present for three hours, but she felt entirely drained. Not to mention, her anxiety was eating at her as to why Hubert didn’t make any mention of the party and why she didn’t know about it until the month before, not to mention the small looks he would exchange with Edelgard. They were probably evaluating her and would discuss how much of an awful guest she was.

They were soon at the entrance again. “It was so great finally meeting you, Bernie!” Edelgard said. She hugged her and all Bernadetta could do was give her an awkward pat on the back. Bernadetta was certain this was just a courtesy hug. She was a politician, after all.

“It-it was nice meeting you too, um, Edelgard! Um, bye!”

_It’s over._

_It’s all over._

Bernadetta raised the volume of the music and stared out the window as Hubert drove out of Edelgard’s driveway. _I messed up. I totally messed up on that one! Good going, Bernie._

Why was she so bad with people? Edelgard had tried to converse with her and be cordial and she couldn’t say more than ten words to her. Was this why Hubert didn’t make any mention of the party to her? Because she was such a mess? No, she was beyond a mess. She was a trainwreck of a person.

She felt the tears threatening to fall. A small headache ensured. 

“Did you hear me, Bernie?”

“Wh-what?”

“That went better than…” He momentarily turned in her direction. “Is everything alright? What’s the matter?” He turned the volume down and as she faced the silence, she began to sob. 

“That was awful! I’m so sorry, Hubert!” 

Seconds later, the car stopped. Hubert had parked in the middle of an empty parking lot. 

“Did you not like Edelgard?”

She shook her head. “She’s nice, but I ruined everything!” Her sobs got louder as she buried her face into the side of the passenger seat away from Hubert. Bernadetta couldn’t stop crying. Somewhere in the interim, she felt Hubert’s hand on her shoulder. 

“In what way?”

“I...I was so rude to her! I barely spoke to her and I’m just so…” she sniffed. “I’m such a mess. I can’t meet a new person without freaking out.” Edelgard was observant. She could tell she wasn’t any good for Hubert. She could just sense the disapproval. And she had only come to the realization that she had developed a crush on him. “She hates me! She has every right to!”

_Of course I’d find a way to ruin things._

“Bernie,” he said, his voice gentle yet firm. She could still feel his hand on her shoulder.

She sniffed. “Yes?”

“If I may, your concerns are...very much incorrect.” 

She shook her head. 

“I’ve known Edelgard for over twenty years. She likes you, and very much so. Not very many people get to experience an embrace from her. Or play a game in her parlor.”

“But...But I was rude to her!”

“Edelgard is well aware of your...shyness. She was as accommodating as she could be. Even now, I believe that she is likely feeling a similar way in regards to her earlier actions. She expresses her regret differently, however.”

“Is this about the party?”

Hubert murmured something she couldn’t understand thanks to her sniffling. 

“Huh?”

“In a sort. It is a bit of a...Well, let’s say I have a yearly tolerance of one party per year. I dislike these affairs, but as Edelgard’s Chief of Staff, I am expected to make an appearance.”

“So you didn’t tell me about it because I’d embarrass you there?”

“That’s a preposterous idea.” He sighed. “Anyway, you have nothing to fear or any reason to admonish yourself. She quite liked you and she was merely attempting her best to impress you. I will continue to reassure you on that fact until you believe so yourself.” He let go of his hand on her shoulder as she nodded and wiped her eyes. “I...er...I came prepared for this outcome, I must admit.” He took something out of his pocket and handed it over to her. It was a plain white handkerchief made out of soft cotton. She dabbed it under her eyes as he turned the car back on. 

“Th-thank you, Hubert. You’re...sweet,” she said in-between sniffles. She felt them weakening as he began to drive again.

“I suppose you’re not in the mood for coffee?” he said.

“Didn’t we just have coffee?”

“I could always use more coffee,” he said, his lips upturned in a small smile.

“Um...okay. Then in that case. I wouldn’t mind some. And maybe some cake, too. I could always eat more sweets.” She was suddenly reminded of Lysithea, who also had a shared bond for cake. She wondered if her boss was still being mean to her. She hadn’t been complaining much about him as of late. She would have to ask her during their upcoming Thursday class.

Hubert laughed. “Very well, then. After I’d drop Edelgard off, I would frequent this nearby cafe and do some work there. I’d like to take you there. They have a rather odd menu selection. I have a feeling you’d like it.”

The coffee shop was located in a corner under an old building. It was unassuming and there were glass windows showing all sorts of baked goods. Their names and prices were written in glittery gold sharpies. Her eyes immediately fell on the orange blossom cake. She tugged on his sleeve and he bent down to listen to her food and drink selection.

“I’ll order for us. You may take a seat if you so wish.”

Bernadetta found a corner and took out the partially damp handkerchief. She wished she had her needle and threads. It could use some small designs to make the plain looking cloth more interesting. The gesture had been incredibly sweet from him. He anticipated her crying. His actions towards her were so kind and so considerate that she felt her chest tightening against her beating heart. It was only adding to her growing infatuation of him. 

Hubert brought her latte and her cake for her, then brought his own choices. 

Bernadetta felt herself going red, but she wanted to ask him anyway. Her every impulse was asking for it. “Can you...can you sit next to me?” She wanted him to be close to her. Maybe he could put his arm around her, she could feel better.

But instead he simply sat beside her. 

“What’s that you got there?” she pointed to his cake. 

“Maple ginger cake. This locale gives it a little bit of a spice kick. Few have the ability to tolerate it. I am one of them. That being said, I still have a preference for your coffee cake, but this is a good alternative.”

“Can I have a bite?” 

“Go right ahead.” 

She picked a little portion of it and was immediately met with the strong flavor hitting her tongue. The maple was almost nonexistent. She coughed at how spicy it was. She sipped her latte, barely able to taste it. 

“I’m guessing it’s not to your liking?”

“It’s spicy! Um, I can try and look up this recipe for you, though. Maybe I can play with it a little.”

They sipped their coffee in a comfortable silence. Until Hubert spoke. “Bernie, there’s something I’d like to tell you.” A mountain of thoughts ran through her head, yet she couldn’t focus on a single one. “I oughtn’t preface it like that. It’s more of something I’d rather want you to know.”

“Um...What is it?”

“I may have known Edelgard for a very long time, but ultimately her feelings on whoever I choose to be with have no impact on my decisions.” Bernadetta felt herself growing hot. Hubert continued, “You underestimate your own appeal and it’s such a shame you cannot see that within yourself.” 

Bernadetta had nothing to say about that. She didn’t understand what he was talking about. Appeal? Her?

“I do so wish that someday you are able to recognize that you are an inherently good, likable person and even though you might not see it right now, I always will.” She sipped on her latte, watching the pattern disappear. Her heart raced at his words. She wanted to believe him. He sounded so sincere. Their eyes locked. He _looked_ sincere. His hand found hers and squeezed. “Please don’t ever forget that.”

Bernadetta nodded.

She would do her best not to forget. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert embarks on a business trip.

A loud noise caused Bernadetta to jump. It was the middle of the night and she was bathed in darkness. 

_Thump._

_Thump._

_THUMP._

It sounded like a heartbeat. Or perhaps an earthquake. No, a clap of thunder.

She got out of her bed, her supplies falling to the floor. 

_Thump._

Then the noise of a stampede climbing up the stairs. The noise multiplied. _Thump thump thump thump._ She didn’t have time to hide when her door was slammed open. A group of shadows entered. They grabbed at her, their hands wrapping around her feet, legs, arms, stomach. She was constricted, as if bound by the rope her father used to tie around her body.

“No. No! You can’t take me back! No! _No!_ ”

She screamed, begging for help. She fought against her captors, the group of shadows that twisted over her body. She had to fight them. For Hubert, for Leonie, and Hilda and Lysithea and Marianne. But most importantly, for herself. For all that she had accomplished in her two years of freedom. For the fact that she managed to subvert all of her expectations that she couldn’t reach happiness. She was the happiest she had ever been, even with all of the bumps in the road. 

She squirmed and wiggled as the bounds grew tighter. 

“I can do this...I can…”

*

Bernadetta woke up. Her room was bright and sunny and everything was still and quiet as it always was. The air around her was cool and she was quick to realize it was because her sheets, alongside Captain Snufflekins and Peony were on the floor. 

“I’m so sorry you guys!!” she picked them up from the floor, lightly dusting them off the floor residue. 

She saw Bertram the crochet crow perched on her desk. He admittedly looked a little creepy without his eyes being sewn in yet. She would have to get right to it. Bernadetta hoped she could finish her crow plush before the end of the month. 

Bernadetta had a rare moment where she didn't want to linger in bed any longer. She didn't want to think about her father and anything associated with him. Staying here in bed would only worsen that. 

Her stomach growled.

She went downstairs and found Leonie reading something in their kitchen table. 

It was an art book. 

“Hey Bernie!”

“Morning. Well, more like afternoon!” She grabbed a mug and poured some coffee Leonie had made for herself.

“How’s it going?” 

“I had a nightmare,” she said, pouring milk and sugar into her drink. She sat across from Leonie. “Dreamt my um…” she laughed, “What did you call my father?”

“The sperm donor,” Leonie said. 

It made her laugh again. It was such a silly name for someone as terrifying as him, yet it made her feel better. “My sperm donor’s guys came after me. They took the form of shadows and bound me to my bed. It was scary!”

“That’s creepy. But thankfully, it was just a dream.”

“I’m always worried someone will see me and recognize me. I mean, if you search my name, my _real_ name, not much will pop out save for a few articles talking about how mysterious my family is and how we’ve been around for centuries.”

“But how can they recognize you if you’re never seen, huh?”

Bernadetta laughed. “Right?!” She appreciated Leonie’s logical candor. She saw everything to the point and Bernadetta liked that about her. She could destroy all of her paranoia in seconds. She eyed the art book. “What’s that? I mean, I know it’s an art book, but is this about that thief you’re trying to catch?”

“It’s on loan. My associate is this dude I went to high school with so he’s friends with the girls as well. He’s an art teacher and he’s letting me borrow these books from class. The pages I have bookmarked in red are paintings he’s stolen.”

Leonie turned to the pages. Bernadetta read their short descriptions. 

“What’s the connection?” she asked. 

“Pallardó doesn’t really steal from museums. He likes to target the rich instead. Kind of a big eff you to them, I guess. I mean, to be fair, I’d get it, the rich suck. But I’m like five figures in debt and it’s every person for themselves, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. She understood precisely what she meant by every person for themselves. She knew that now.

“I realize that came out wrong. You’re a rich kid too, but like…”

“I didn’t even see it that way, Leonie! I’m actually not offended by this!”

“Thank goodness,” she let out a laugh. “Besides, some of the people this guy’s stolen from are decent people, I guess. But the idea of paying most of my debts with room to spare makes me pretty happy.”

“I hope you can do it.”

“Yeah, because Jeralt’s kid is also after this dude and I can’t let them win. I’m his number one apprentice and I _will_ catch him, I swear.” 

Bernadetta saw different colored bookmarks attached to different pages in her artbook. “What are those in blue?”

“Those are the ones I think he’s going to steal next. The pattern is that they tend to represent the founding families of Fodlan. Those in red include Gautier, Daphnel, Goneril, Riegan, and so on and so forth. The ones in blue are Blaiddyd, Gloucester, Hevring, Charon and so on and others I suspect could get a calling card.” _Goneril. Isn’t that Hilda?_

“You’ve been really researching this, Leonie!”

“I have to if I really want that bounty!”

There was a knock at the door. 

“You can come in!” Leonie said.

The bells located near the front door went off. Remembering her nightmare, Bernadetta took a deep breath. She momentarily felt nausea stemming from the taste of her coffee in hands. 

That nausea was replaced by butterflies as the sight of Hubert entering her home. Then pure confusion.

“Hey there,” Leonie said. 

“Good afternoon Leonie, Bernie.” He bowed to them, mostly to Leonie as a stiff formality. Bernadetta couldn’t remember the last time he bowed at her. 

Their eyes met as he bowed, causing butterflies to spread their wings all around her. She never really thought about how piercing his gaze was with one completely visibly eye. She wondered what he would look like if she pushed his bangs back. _I bet he looks really attractive under those bangs._ Bernadetta wanted to see both his eyes centered on her and her alone. She snapped back to reality as she had a pressing question.

“Um, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she said. “O-oh. I’m sorry. That’s rude of me! Do you want coffee?”

“No need. Bernie, I require a word with you for a moment.” She felt her stomach drop. 

The thoughts came racing around her mind as she walked outside with him. “I apologize for not informing you I was to visit, but I’m afraid I do not have time right now.”

“Is something wrong?” She was suddenly scared he was here to break up with her or...or, well, break up with her. She went over all of the things she did wrong. Even though her conduct at Edelgard’s home was appalling, he insisted she had liked her, but she couldn’t be too--

“No, nothing is wrong. I am here at Edelgard’s insistence. I’m afraid I must leave for the next week or so with her on a delegation of sorts. It was rather contingently planned.”

“Oh.” She felt relief at his words. _He’s not breaking up with me._ But also a slight sadness. Her hands found both of his and rested there.

“I must admit, there is a part of myself that would rather take you with me. But Edelgard said I ought to let you know and say my goodbyes. I’m leaving the capital in a few hours with her.” 

_I’ll miss you,_ she thought. She wanted to say the words out loud, but instead she could only get, “Please be safe, Hubert.” She let go of his hands and gave him a hug, her hands rested on his shoulder blades, his went around the top of her back. These days, he was getting better at embracing her. His hugs were no longer awkward and bony. They felt...fulfilling now and she didn’t want to let go. But if they never let go, then he wouldn’t be able to do his job. 

“Stay safe as well, Bernie.”

They let go and she saw him off. She meekly waved at him as he drove off and entered her house. 

“Holy shit,” Leonie said when she entered. “You’re really into him.”

“Huh?” She felt her face going red. “I-I...I’m…I was just...”

Leonie laughed. “Don’t try to deny it. I can see it a mile away.” 

She raised her hands to her cheeks and covered them. 

“And if I’m seeing it, then that means everyone else can see it.”

“Oh no!”

“Except for Hubert, that is.”

“ _Oh no!_ ” She couldn’t tell if that was what she wanted. “Okay, f-fine. It’s true. I like him! He’s _nice_ and _cute_ and _thoughtful_ and...and likes the things I like and every time I see him I get this feeling in my body like there’s butterflies or it’s doing somersaults and I feel so _happy!_ And now he’s leaving for a business trip with his boss. And now I feel...kinda empty.”

Leonie snapped her book shut. “That’s a confession, if I’ve ever heard one. I’m not the right person to talk to about this. But if you’re feeling things towards this guy, then talk to Hilda about it. She might know how to tackle that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, if I can get Hilda to respond. She’s been busy with all those weddings as of late!”

Bernadetta wasn’t sure if she wanted more people to know about her feelings, but Hilda was so helpful about how to approach the subject of dating and relationships.

Yes, Hilda would have to do. If she were available.

She grabbed her phone and asked Hilda. It was worth a shot. **Hey Hilda, are you available right now?  
**

She was met with an automated message. **So sorry! Can't come to the phone right now!  
**

Bernadetta lamented her luck. It seemed as though everyone was living their lives and doing things. At least she still had Leonie. 

* * *

Leaving Bernie was one of the most difficult things he had to do in recent memory. Edelgard had sprung up meetings with new campaign donors they would be forced to attend in the countryside with little to no notice.

“I’m sorry, and I know it’s sudden, but we have to go to this. Funding is crucial if I’m to win re-election later this year and I don't want to depend on you-know-who again. You should go tell your girlfriend you’ll be out for a week or so.”

He took out his phone, ready to message her.

Edelgard placed her hand on his phone, as though to block him. “In person.”

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t you rather I be at the ready?”

“No. Go tell her, Hubert. I’ll be packing my things, anyway.”

Hubert understood. He would do anything for Edelgard’s cause. The devotion he felt to her cause and to her as a friend, was unparalleled, despite his increasing personal devotion to another. He wondered if he could handle both at the same time. Show Edelgard he was always her most loyal and ardent friend and supporter, and then come home to Bernie and show her how she had consumed his every other thought. 

_Come home to Bernie? Don’t be foolish._

His thoughts raced to the idea of her welcoming him into her open arms every night. Of him holding her throughout the night. Of him cooking for her or alternatively, of the two cooking together in his apartment. He stopped himself before his thoughts went any further.

_You’ve spent only a few hours without her and you’re already thinking silly absurdities._

He could still feel the sensation of her embrace. The way her hands seared through his shoulder blades. If he were a wiser, less impatient man, he wouldn’t have wasted their first kiss months ago after watching that movie. He’d have kissed her goodbye, right then and there. It would have left a far greater impression on his memory. 

...Not that their actual kiss hadn’t left an impression. He still thought of the way her soft lips reciprocated. How all he could think about was how _happy_ he felt at the thought of her reciprocating his affections. Happiness wasn’t an emotion he ever felt. It was fleeting and fickle, but he could see the appeal in it. Despite the kiss bringing about those exact fickle, fleeting feelings, the feelings of happiness he felt whenever he was around her hadn’t waned. If anything, they grew exponentially.

“You’ve been staring at that page for a while sometime,” Edelgard said. All of his thoughts evaporated as he remembered he was sitting in a train, sharing a cart with Edelgard. He was reading...something. He idly picked up a book he had around his apartment, but none of it had registered. “Something on your mind?”

“No. Not at all.”

Edelgard sighed and rolled her eyes. She sat across the table. “You never want to talk about your feelings, do you?”

She knew exactly how to zero in on this topic of conversation. He took off his reading glasses. “Why is it always about my feelings?”

“Because it’s the one topic I noticed a long time ago that you tend to avoid. The next thing I know you’re taking it out with more work or you become irritable or you consume more coffee.”

Hubert hated when she was right. Edelgard was almost always right, anyway. He attempted to remain stone faced, but he knew even that wouldn’t work on her. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing that concerns you, Edelgard.”

“I worry about you, you know. You’re so important to me, Hubert.”

“I was just thinking about Bernie,” he said. Even though it was the truth, it was also means to get her to stop probing.

Edelgard’s posture relaxed. “You’ll see her again soon enough.” There was some quiet between them until Edelgard spoke again. “It’s really heartwarming to see you having feelings for someone.”

Hubert had nothing to say about that. Even though he was close to Edelgard, talking about his feelings always felt...unnecessary and uncomfortable. “I...yes,” he finished awkwardly.

“I don’t think you’ve ever put this much effort into anyone before.” He thought of how he sent her a briefing of notes prior to their meeting on things he knew Bernie liked and didn’t like. Then his thoughts fell to that dream he had a few weeks ago. The dream where he was in her bed. Where he was close to telling the dream version of her something he was too afraid to admit, even to himself. 

“I believe she is worth the effort.”

“I was wondering if I could see her again, just the two of us,” Edelgard said. “You said she warms up with repeated exposure, didn’t you?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Not much, but I haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy a girl’s day together.”

“That would depend on her, but if we say it ahead of time, she will agree to the idea.” He remembered her sweet shock to him surprising her with dinner that night. He was incredibly alight with nerves that night, but Lysithea insisted he had to “be romantic” and the like. The fact that it worked had proved she had grown accustomed to him.

“Excellent! I want to be friends with the girl who's stolen your heart.”

_Stolen my heart._

_She's not wrong, however._

Hubert got to the point. “You’re here for another reason, aren’t you?”

“Well, I wanted to ask what’s made you so pensive and see if we could talk about it. But I also wanted to give you a list of the people we’re speaking with for these few days.” She handed a sheet of paper with names. Hubert put on his glasses again.

He recognized a few of those names. Hevring. Hyrm. Nuvelle. Gerth. Bergliez, to name a few. 

“We have a Bergliez working with us,” he said. 

“That might prove difficult, considering there’s a rift within the family. This is Randolph’s nephew and those two don’t get along.” 

He read off the less recognizable names. Gloucester. Varley. Ochs. 

“I see. Thank you for the list. I suppose there’s a dossier of some sort on the less recognizable names?”

“Of course. We’re nearing our location so I’ll hand them to you once we reach the hotel. They’re in an email I sent you earlier today sometime after you were saying your goodbyes to Bernie.”

Hubert checked his phone. No signal.

He hoped Bernie wasn’t too worried about him. 

*

When Hubert and Edelgard got to their hotel, he was dismayed to find out they were in the highest floor. Edelgard wanted his room to be next to hers for convenience. The first thing he did after shutting the windows was call Bernie. He paced around the room as the dial tone rang. She picked up fairly quickly.

“You’re safe! That’s good.”

“Good evening, Bernie.” He realized it was a late hour, but he couldn’t hold back. 

“How was your trip?”

“Passable. However, Edelgard has booked my room on the highest floor.”

“Is that a problem?” she asked. 

He lay down on the bed, facing away from the window. “Can I tell you a secret. Bernie?”

He could hear her hesitation. They had yet to share any secrets between each other. But he wanted her to know his. He wanted to trust her and then one day, in return, she could trust him. “Um, okay!”

“I’m...uneasy around heights.”

“You’re scared of heights?” she asked. 

He closed his eyes, feeling embarrassed. “In a sense...yes. I quite enjoy lofty views, but from a safe distance.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you were um, scared of things.”

He disliked the feeling he felt right now. It was the same way he felt minutes ago with Edelgard when she confronted him about his feelings but now he could put a name to it: he felt vulnerable. “Yes, even I am capable of having a few...phobias of my own.”

“Well, I may be scared of...well, everything! But I’m not afraid of heights. I can um...Well, I can try to protect you if we’re ever in that situation.”

Hubert couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course. I’ll hold you to it, Bernie.”

There was a pleasant silence on the end of the line. Hubert could hear her soft breaths. If he closed his eyes, he could easily imagine her on the other side of the bed. There was definitely enough room for her here, as well as his bed back home. 

“What are you thinking about right now, Hubert?”

_You._

But instead he told her the second closest thing on his mind. “Edelgard gave a dossier on the people we’re supposed to be meeting. I ought to peruse these documents, but…” What he was close to saying was dangerous. He had never blown off work for resting before. 

“But what?”

“I should read them.”

“Hubert…” She took in a deep breath. “If you’re tired, then don’t force yourself, okay? Tomorrow’s another day.”

“Then in that case, I should be going. Good night, Bernie.”

“Night!”

Hubert stared at the ceiling for the next few minutes. He still couldn’t quite believe he had told Bernie something so personal and her reaction was far too adorable. _What I wouldn’t do to hold her right here, right now._ But he knew that even if she were here he wouldn’t have initiated such a thing. 

He made a compromise with himself. He would spend the next hour looking at the dossier for the names he was strictly unfamiliar with. 

Gloucester was from a bordering city in the Alliance, but had strong ties with Adrestia and with Edelgard in part due to his location. Perhaps his interests were more geared towards his city, Hubert surmised. As of now, she didn’t have the power needed for someone like Gloucester, but it showed he was most certainly looking towards the future. If he saw it within means to form a potentially politically advantageous alliance with her, perhaps it would mean that Edelgard was seen in a serious light. It was right where she needed to be. 

Ochs was your typical run-of-the-mill Adrestian donor. Nothing special there. 

Varley was the most interesting to him. A married couple known for their seclusion, hidden away in the Oghma Mountains up north. The Varley family had risen to prominence thanks to the resources obtained from the mountains but lately, the climate up there had affected their finances. 

Hubert wondered what their angle was. His best guess was that they were a family with less donations to give but potentially had to have something to give in exchange. It must have been important enough for them to leave their cloud of seclusion. Hubert was immensely curious about their predicament and why they were seeking out Edelgard specifically. 

After reading what little there was about the Varley family, Hubert decided to heed Bernie’s words and get ready for bed. Tomorrow was another day and he would need all of his strength and energy to help Edelgard. 

His last thoughts before going to sleep were centered around Bernie, per usual. However, it was during the stillness of his room did he recall she too, was from the mountains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really getting into the nitty gritty of the hell that's mutual pining.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta continues to pine for Hubert; meanwhile, Hubert has a rather eventful meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content??? Warning for some suggestive stuff that happens in the first part of this chapter. I try not to be too explicit with my writing and write *just* enough to get the point across without saying too much...but fun fact: I've never written this type of scene before so I hope it was just spicy enough.

Bernadetta woke up to her phone vibrating. There was only one person who would text her in the middle of the night. “Hubert,” she said, snatching the charged phone sitting on her crowded desk. 

**I’m here.**

She rushed out of the bed, not caring if he saw her in her nightwear. The first time they met, she was wearing this exact outfit anyway. She was sure he wouldn’t mind. 

He stood outside her porch, in front of his car and slightly leaning into it. He was wearing his three piece suit and looked haggard. Hubert always had bags under his eyes, but they were worse than usual. She didn’t care. He was here and she was with him. Despite that, his eyes brightened. 

“I missed you,” she whispered into the night. Only he could hear her and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“And I, you.” She leaned into him and his fingers curled into her hair. Her entire body felt hot at his touch.

Their eyes met.

Her breath hitched. “Hubert,” she said, her voice lower than she thought imaginable. She moved her body closer to him and got on her tiptoes. 

He followed suit, closing the gap between them. 

He tasted like coffee, and spices, and her coffee cakes, just as she had remembered he tasted like. His hand slid from her hair to the back of her neck to the small of her back, running along her spine. She felt every nerve in her body reacting to his touch. She scrambled to hold him. She felt so small compared to him and she wondered if she was doing this right. If her touch was good enough or if her inexperience was so visible to him.

He broke the kiss, their eyes meeting before he brought himself back with her and she readily accepted him once more. Their kiss quickly grew deep and became frenzied, with Hubert nibbling her lower lip. Her knees buckled and she held onto him tighter. 

His arms wrapped around her waist and lifted just above him. She kissed him again and again now that she was within his grasp. She didn’t want to waste any more precious time.

Bernadetta couldn’t remember just how they ended up in her bedroom, but it happened in the flash of a second. She was caught in a haze as Hubert lay her down. She wanted him close, she wanted him to never let him go. They stared at each other for a second.

Bernadetta loved the way Hubert looked at her. Even now, he watched her with admiration and adoration. 

His hands slid below her t-shirt and she squeaked, his hands cold against her stomach. He gave her a watchful look, as if looking for approval, and she nodded. 

“Keep going, Hubert,” she found herself saying. 

“As you wish,” he said, his voice low and coming from the back of his throat. He kissed her lips once, twice, three, four times, drawing each kiss out but never quite deepening them, his eyes never leaving hers. Bernadetta never really thought what qualified as seductive but that, along with his piercing green eyes gazing at her though the light was enough for her thoughts to go in a frenzy. She wanted him, all of him, right now. His teasing of her was making her spiral out of control with her anticipation for something more.

His hand moved lower, lower, lower all the while he kept meeting her lips with his. He was moving so slow, she swore she would go crazy from the sheer anticipation of his touch. “Oh, _Bernadetta_ , the things I want to do with you…” The way he said her name made her hairs stand on their end, sending shivers and shockwaves throughout her body.

She closed her eyes, waiting for his hand to reach her entrance and...and…

She saw a flash of light…

*

Bernadetta was hanging over the edge of the bed when she woke up. She was dangerously close to falling out. The sunshine was blinding and she felt her sheets were damp with sweat. They were clinging to her body as she attempted to untangle herself from them. 

It was unreasonably hot today, summer was fast approaching. 

Despite all that, Bernadetta felt disappointed that the dream wasn’t real. 

Hubert was still away and when she checked her phone, it was uncharacteristically quiet. Hubert barely had time to even message her since he left a few days ago so now she was lost alone with her thoughts.

And right now, her thoughts were centered towards the kiss they shared all that time ago. The very kiss that led them to...well, everything—for better or worse. He tasted the same in her dream, it was almost real to her, she closed her eyes, remembering the moment. The way his lips felt against hers, the tenderness of his touch…

Bernadetta’s hand snaked under her shorts as her thoughts centered around the remnants of her dream, surprised by the way her body had responded to a fantasy fabricated by her mind. She wondered what he would be like if she ever had the courage to do more with him. How the weight of his body would feel over hers, the way she’d finally be within reach of his hair—hair she longed to touch now— and push his bangs back. Would he look at her the same in her dream? Would he look at all of her scars, her small breasts, her small, somewhat boyish figure with those same eyes he did in the dream? As though she were the most beautiful thing in the world. And how he would sound like when he’d say her name, her _full_ name, in a low purr...Bernadetta twitched at the thought.

The thought of Hubert’s gaze on hers and the possibility of feeling of his fingers inside her—those long, long elegant fingers she’s laced between her own and held so strongly whenever she felt her anxiety act up— made her pent-up release feel powerful, her relief coursing through every inch of her body. As soon as her high wore off and that tingling, floaty feeling faded away, she felt bashful and shameful. _How can I face him again without thinking of this?_

She had occasionally done this before, mostly as means to relieve stress, but it was her first time thinking of someone she knew in real life—someone she was facing an increasing and burgeoning attraction to. Usually they were fictional men. Men from the books she’d read or one she saw in a movie. Sometimes she’d go as far to invent one of her own. 

But Hubert was a solid, real person. 

She wondered if he did the same in regards to her. 

She found herself hoping so. Then went red at the thought.

Bernadetta got her phone out. She was met with the wallpaper of her and Hubert at the gardens. She had recently changed it from a cartoon brown hedgehog to them together. They looked so happy that day. To think it had been over a month ago since their visit to the botanical gardens. 

Her feelings towards him had changed so much in recent months, going from being scared to him to full blown infatuation. She had no idea what to do with this feeling, for she had never felt an attraction this intense to someone before.

She looked at Bertram the crow, perched in her office desk next to where her laptop resided. He was complete and ready to live in his new home, with Hubert. But she found herself itching to make a new flower for him to wear, even though she was working on a project as to what she’d wear to Edelgard’s party. She had to start doing something now before she would allow her insecurities to catch up to her once more. Not to mention she had several art commissions to work on. Even though Hubert was gone and Lysithea and Hilda were equally as busy and Leonie had her own erratic schedule, Bernadetta had her own workload.

Yet her insecurities still manifested into the light. Of her father’s words calling her ugly, useless, unmarriageable. And then her ability to always see herself in the worst possible light. Of her catastrophizing and seeing the worst in herself, as though everything were her fault for even veering off course. 

She knew she should start getting ready for the day and working on her art commissions, but she had to send Hubert a message. And even if she couldn’t admit her snowballing feelings for him, she wanted to at least tell him this.

**Hubert…**

_No, that’s not it, Bernie. Or maybe._ She sighed. _Just write it out, Bernie!_

**Hey Hubert! I know you’ve been busy and I don’t want to disturb you. I don’t think I’ve said this much, but I worry about you and you’re in my thoughts a lot more than you probably think. I know how you fall into your work habits and how you’ll do anything for Edelgard and making sure everything runs smoothly. But whenever you feel overwhelmed or just need a moment of respite, I’m here. I want to be there for you, Hubert. And I’m terrible at saying these things out loud, but know this, *please* know I'm here. I hope you’re eating well and resting and drinking enough water. I just realized I don’t see you drinking enough water when we’re together and...yeah. You don’t have to respond to this message. It’s no pressure, and I can’t wait to see you again and see you try out my new recipes. I have a good one coming up for you!**

Before she could stress further about it, she hit send, not worrying about spelling or grammar. She just needed to get the words out before her thoughts would get the best of her and cause her to erase everything and live in her own bubble of silence. A bubble she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be in anymore. 

* * *

He was on his second coffee of the day when Hubert’s phone buzzed once...twice...thrice...He took his phone out to auto reject the likely spam caller when he saw it was one long text message from Bernie. He didn’t have much time to do anything else during these long, harrowing days. He had sat next to Edelgard and evaluated their potential donors. Hubert had near perfect memory and had to put it to use. Detailing and cataloging everything about their subjects, from their appearance to their mannerisms, tone of voice, eye contact, and all things discussed. He spent much of his hours outside the meetings writing in a private, nearly perfectly sealed document he shared only with Edelgard written in various shorthands and ciphers only she could understand.

His hands were shaking, either from the coffee or the thought of Bernie writing such a long message to him. 

For a split second, he worried about its contents. Perhaps he had been away for too long, after all, it was now over a week in his trip and the Garland Moon had arrived. He worried about the thought of her finding another or perhaps she came to the realization that he wasn’t quite a fixture in her life. That she was at her happiest while he was away. 

He wanted her to be happy at all times, but _especially_ within his presence. But he would understand if she wanted to see less of him, or perhaps not at all. Perhaps for her he would be...what was the phrase again? Out of sight, out of mind. 

Meanwhile, Hubert felt the opposite and he hated himself for it. How pathetic and desperate he must look to others. If his father were here he would chastise him for…

_For what? He betrayed Edelgard._

He hated moments like these. Where his thoughts got the best of him. How his father’s words contradicted his every action. 

He realized he allowed his thoughts to catch up to him before steeling himself and reading Bernie’s message. 

And he read it again. And again. And again. 

He read it until he memorized her every word. 

Hubert wanted to reply to her with every inch of his being, but for now, he had to settle with her words inside his head. When he finished the contents of his coffee cup, he made sure to grab a bottle of water before entering the conference room. 

Bernie was right. He never drank enough water. He was certain that if it were even remotely possible, he had more coffee in his system than water. It would have to be a joke he’d save for her another day.

Hubert sat in the chair closest to where Edelgard usually chose to sit in as he prepared her slideshow presentation and every tool needed at her disposal. 

Today was perhaps one of the families he was intrigued by in particular. The Varley family. A family from the same location where Bernie claimed to be from. A family he knew little about. 

He wore one of the suits she made today. Wearing her tailored clothes gave him a boost in confidence and morale. And it although it was silly, Hubert felt as though she was with him in a sense. Perhaps he should have taken to wearing the flowers she made for him, but he wanted to keep them secured in his car.

Hubert’s back straightened when he heard the door open. He expected to see Edelgard’s small, slender frame, but instead was met with a middle aged woman he had never seen before, with dark lilac hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a long purple blazer and black plants. There was a rather refined air around her. She looked very much like the old money the Varleys were said to come from.

“Good morning,” she said to Hubert. She took a seat not too far away from him.

“Good morning,” he answered with a small bow. “I take it you’re Mrs. von Varley.”

She gave him a small smile. “You’d be correct in your assumption. You may simply call me Mrs. Varley. I realize I may be here a bit early. Or perhaps Miss Hresvelg won’t be joining us?”

“She shall be here shortly.”

“I heard the girl has been proactive, with her mind set on the future and the like. If she were not to show, I would have most certainly follow my husband’s lead and head back. But my husband is more incorrect than he’d like to believe.”

Hubert placed his hand on his chin. “I take it your husband is...not as ‘proactive’, you say? I’m afraid that’s quite a shame.”

Mrs. Varley laughed, her eyes crinkling while at it. Hubert thought her laugh was delightful—only second to Bernie’s. “What is your name, young man?”

“My name is Hubert von Vestra, Edelgard’s Chief of Staff. You may call me Hubert. Mr. Vestra makes me sound…”

“Uncomfortable?” she offered. 

“Undeserving.”

She folded her hands. “Humble, are we? You must be the brains behind all of this, I presume.”

“Only partly,” he said. He didn’t mean it to be a laughing matter but she laughed anyway. “Edelgard is very much involved in this entire scheme. She carries out the plans and she personally executes them herself. She has the final say in everything.” _With a few exceptions._

“I was correct in my assumption. You are quite humble, Hubert.” She laughed once more. “Humble Hubert. I might take to calling you that.” 

_It’s most certainly better than Hardass Hubert._

His thoughts shifted towards Lysithea. If she were here, she’d be screaming at him to message Bernie immediately. He pushed his thoughts away from Bernie for one second. He couldn’t afford to think of her right now, even though she too, was never too far away from his thoughts.

He focused on the fact that he was being so thoroughly charmed by Mrs. Varley. Generally, it was Edelgard who had to make use of her charisma. He had none, or at least, very little of it. Or perhaps this was her angle. He was aware of her recent finances having taken a toll from the recent climate changes.

“I think I like you,” she said. “Mind you, it’s rare for me to say such a thing. Such a shame I didn’t have an encounter with you three years ago,” she said. 

Hubert chose not to interpret it in the way he was thinking. Should he tell her he had a girlfriend, even though neither he nor Bernie had that conversation yet? It wasn’t often when he believed he was being flirted with, but right now he felt more self conscious than ever. Perhaps she was working through possible angles with him. 

She realized her gaffe when Hubert didn’t react to her words. “I do not mean to mean it like that. Not in the way you think.”

Edelgard entered, her timing impeccable. 

The two of them exchanged pleasantries, with Edelgard kissing both of her cheeks as Hubert played the slideshow presentation as Edelgard spoke. The entire time, his eyes were on Mrs. Varley, who was watching Edelgard—and him—with intent. The rest of the potential donors ignored him. Of course they did, he was only Edelgard’s shadow. Her tactician and Chief of Staff. 

After Edelgard finished, she asked her some questions, and Hubert noticed she had more questions to ask than the rest of their potential donors. It was then he realized she was like them. Like Edelgard and himself. She was not a flirt nor the elegant middle aged woman she presented herself as, but a shrewd tactician. _What is her angle?_

Hubert never spoke up here, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. “I’ve heard of your finances, Mrs. Varley. Reports have it that you are rather lacking as of recent. Why would you consider donating to a politician ranked much lower in the Adrestian hierarchy?” He ignored whatever look Edelgard was probably giving him now.

He would have to tell her that he had already somehow built a rapport with this woman.

“My reasons are complex, Mr. Hubert. But to put it succinctly. We could benefit from you. Maybe not now, or next year, but perhaps in ten—no, I’d give it five years at the minimum—if you play your cards right—to hold a grander office. Edelgard is the right kind of politician. Determined, calculating, results-driven. You don’t play on the emotions of your constituents. You see the problems—and there are many—our society has and you attempt to fix them. Now, if I give a chunk of what’s left of our decreasing funds, then perhaps it’ll return tenfold whenever the fires in the mountains die out. I do what I must to ensure the fires will not become a prevailing issue in the years to come. Not for myself but for those who make their lives there.”

Hubert now understood what he believed was only part of her motivation. He sensed there was something else, though, something she wanted to keep hidden away. For now, this would be as honest as she'd get. Understandable, considering they had only met today. This was but a test of sorts. Not a game, Hubert believed this woman was not here to toy with them or their time. But he wanted to test her as well.

“Then why come to us instead of your own local politician?”

As expected, she laughed. “You know the answer to that question very well, Mr. Hubert.”

_Corruption. It was always about corruption._

“Ever since my husband handed over some of the power of our name and status to me, I’ve been devising some strategies. I’m afraid all of his plans have either crashed and burned or have literally run away from him. And so it’s up to me to repair the damages.”

Hubert and Edelgard exchanged a glance. They knew problems ran amok through and through but this was yet another burden Edelgard would offer to take and resolve. 

“Feel free to contact us,” Edelgard said. “It was lovely meeting you.”

“Yes, of course,” she said. “I must return to my husband’s suite. He will not want to hear the recap, but he will hear it anyway. And I will make any and all decisions regarding our donations.” 

“Naturally,” Edelgard said. 

Mrs. Varley got out of her seat and shook Edelgard’s hand, followed by Hubert’s. “And one more thing.” She gave a pert smile. “I don’t think you get this much, but I rather like your tactician. You ought to keep him around. He’s quite pleasant company.”

She left the room, where they exchanged a glance.

“She was quite the character,” Edelgard said. 

“I agree.” He didn’t go into specifics as to how their conversation went nor did he want to.

“Just a few more and we’re free to go home. This’ll prove quite interesting when we get back. Perhaps Ladislava will give us some good news on our finances. We’ll have to add on more interns and start our campaigning in two months. We must start early.”

Hubert nodded, shutting off the slideshow presentation.

“The good news is that we don’t have a meeting until after lunch. Would you like to have lunch with me?”

“Certainly. Reserve a seat for me, please. If I may, I must send Bernie a message.”

Edelgard’s mouth was open. “Have you not sent your girlfriend any messages during this trip?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t the time with all of the meetings and dossier notes. It’s much to do, and I believe she is well-aware of my duties.”

“I won’t stop you.”

Hubert sat alone in the conference room, reading Bernie’s message yet again. 

**Bernie, you don’t understand how much it means to me that I am in your thoughts. Naturally, you always reside in mine. Oftentimes, there is so much I’d like to say to you but sometimes we say everything by saying nothing at all. All I require is your presence and instantly, my world has calmed. I feel...cared for in a way I’ve never felt before. I realize this-all of this- is quite daring to say, Bernie, but I want to get to know you further. I will eat a hearty lunch with Edelgard soon and I have been drinking a substantial amount of water. I would ask you not to fret for me, but knowing you, this’ll be an inevitability. I only ask you not to wear yourself out. I shall see you soon and I look forward to tasting your new recipes.**

Hubert read the message, then reread it again, checking for perfect spelling and grammar before hitting send. He took his time, making sure the message was perfect and clear.

He got out of the conference room and walked into the restaurant. 

There were flowers everywhere and everything looked so beautiful and still and pristine. For a second, Hubert wondered if he ought to take Bernie to this hotel on a weekend getaway (someday), but remembered their horrible track record with expensive dates involving food. 

Perhaps a taste test would be in order for lunch today. 

And he still wanted to take her, anyway. The resort was quite beautiful, all things considered, and there were plenty of things to do around here. Not that he had done any of those things, anyway. Perhaps she would like that.

Edelgard was seated outside, in the veranda. She wasn’t alone. 

Mrs. Varley sat across from her, smiling at her. Seated next to her was a man Hubert could only conclude was her husband. Her eyes found him. 

“Did you come to pay us a visit, Mr. Humble Hubert?” Mrs. Varley asked. Her tone and overall demeanor was noticeably different here than in the conference room—both when they were alone and with Edelgard. There was a squeak in her voice, perhaps a tremor, maybe. Hubert catalogued it for future reference. She continued smiling at him, yet the crinkle in her eyes showed she was smiling too wide. It was unlike the way she acted during their earlier meeting.

“I found Mrs. Varley and her husband here and she invited us to dine with us. I couldn’t just say no!” Edelgard said. Of course, it would make for an awkward situation if they spent the entire time talking about the Varleys while they were a few feet away. He would probably have to go into Edelgard's room and hold a meeting for the two of them. 

“Good afternoon again,” he said, taking a seat beside Edelgard. 

He was met with Mr. Varley’s scowl. Hubert was aware his own resting face was of a similar caliber, but this seemed intentional. His eyes fell directly on Hubert’s. Normally he was used to being the one with an unsettling glower, but perhaps there were worse people than him in that regard.

“This is my husband,” she said. 

“Good afternoon to you, too,” he said.

“And this is Edelgard’s tactician, Hubert.”

He gruffed, extending his hand towards Hubert. He had a feeling he was in for an awkward lunch with these people. It was a far cry from the usual luncheons and room service dinners he’d have. 

As they spoke, Hubert’s own gaze fell onto the silent, yet imposing Mr. Varley. A man who seemed as though he would rather be anywhere else. Mr. Varley’s eyes scrutinized Hubert, evaluating his every move. Hubert was not afraid of anyone, and this man any less. 

Edelgard and Mrs. Varley chatted pleasantly while Hubert observed and Mr. Varley glowered.

“I’m having my birthday party in a few week’s time, by the way,” Edelgard said. “The theme is historical. Hubert and I usually dress in twelfth century outfits. I’d like to extend an invitation to you and your husband.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose on you,” Mrs. Varley said. Hubert wondered if her response would have been different if Edelgard brought the subject up a few minutes ago, or if she had been alone.

“For that, we must decline,” Mr. Varley said.

It was a predictable response for a pair this isolated. Yet Mrs. Varley’s disappointment from her husband's words was evident. 

“Well, it would be to your benefit.” Hubert said. With that, Mrs. Varley shifted her gaze towards Hubert.

“Please elaborate,” she said.

“What Hubert’s trying to say is that a portion of my party goes towards the awareness of issues going on throughout our country. If we raise enough awareness, then it would be the first step of getting a task done,” Edelgard said.

“Isn’t being here enough?” Mr. Varley said. Hubert wanted him to be quiet. Hubert learned in high school how to make a laxative with chemicals and would carry a vial around to use on people who bothered him or Edelgard...at least until Edelgard told him to stop doing that. He surrendered to her pleas in part due to his misguided crush on her but right now he wished he had some of it. 

“How ignorant of you, to be so rude in Edelgard's presence,” Hubert said, snapping at him. “Then why waste your time here instead of golfing and doing whatever it is men like you do?” Edelgard’s leg came up towards him and nudged him to be quiet. Mrs. Varley went still. There was no way Hubert would apologize for snapping at him.

“I would like to consider raising awareness to the fires at your party,” Mrs. Varley finally said after an awkward spell. “It is possible this could benefit in the long run. It may take a long time,” her gaze fell on her husband, “but sometimes, all you can do is rely on time.”

Mr. Varley crossed his arms. Usually potential donors acted in the opposite way for the sake of political interest. Hubert wondered if this man’s entire goal was to be as unpleasant as possible, as though to undermine his wife. Did he not want her to succeed in her endeavors? Even in his body language, it was clear he would have prefered to be anywhere else, and it didn’t help seeing that Mrs. Varley looked a lot less engaging and congenial when seated next to him. He had finally uncrossed his arms when the appetizers came and he silently ate while she and Edelgard engaged in small talk.

It wasn’t that Hubert didn’t like people at first sight, rather, he was _wary_ of them, but he had this pricking feeling of a rather intense form of dislike and distrust. He would have to do more research on this family and do some digging. They were the odd ones out of their potential donors and yet perhaps it was their mysteriousness the reason why he now had such an interest in them.

Well, it wasn’t only that. 

There was something else.

Even though Mr. Varley was glaring daggers at both him and Edelgard and showing he was clearly above this impromptu lunch, Hubert couldn’t help but be fascinated by his eyes. His large gray eyes. They were so familiar, yet they lacked the kindness or warmth or even the slightest bit of a soul and Hubert found it utterly unsettling.

Because the problem was,

He couldn’t help but see Bernie in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand as of this chapter the word count exceeds Sarracenia. I'm currently 83.6k words in my doc and I will double publish a chapter with a supplemental chapter right after that's 420 words (haha) as of now, so really 84.k words in.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta and Hubert reunite and have a much-needed conversation. A Bernadetta centric chapter.

Bernadetta’s heart raced a few days later when Hubert sent her a message that he was back in the city. However, he sent her the message really late that evening and she knew he likely needed to rest. 

She felt a mild disappointment that things didn’t go the way the dream went, where he surprised her by greeting her on her front porch. Bernadetta couldn’t sleep that evening after she received the text. She kept coming up with plans and scenarios as to what she’d do when Hubert arrived, not to mention the way her heart pounded as she tossed and turned, eventually giving up when she chose to read a fantasy novel she recently acquired from a used bookstore from her bookshelf.

However, she was met with even more disappointment when Hubert messaged her saying he would go to work the following morning. 

“You look miserable today,” Leonie said when Bernadetta was downstairs. Bernadetta didn’t feel like cooking for the time being, so she settled on making oatmeal and berries as an early afternoon breakfast.

“Hubert’s back.”

“I thought you'd be happier about that. Did he break up with you?” Leonie asked. 

Bernadetta shook her head. “He’s at work. I’m sure he’ll swing by after.”

Leonie shook her head. “You really have it bad for him, don’t you? That’s definitely a Hilda question. And it’ll look like I’ll have to be out of the house by the late afternoon, huh?”

“You can always stay here!” Bernadetta offered. “I’m going to bake one of my new recipes for Hubert.”

“Oh, you mean that ginger coffee cake?”

Bernadetta nodded. Leonie and the other girls served as taste testers for her last Thursday. They all enjoyed her new recipe. Lysithea was noticeably mellower than usual, but Bernadetta thought it had to do with her bringing her cakes, while Marianne seemed chipper as ever. Hilda was forced to skip out on their weekly event due to work commitments.

“Neat! I should make myself scarce. I don’t wanna catch the two of you making out on the couch or anything like that!”

Bernadetta went red. “N-no! It’s n-n-not like th-that!”

“Then you should probably rest up or something. You look kinda tired,” Leonie said. “I’m sure even if you told Hilda he’s back, she’d probably say the same thing.”

She ate the rest of her oatmeal and heeded Leonie’s advice. But not before texting Hilda. 

**He’s back!**

After a few minutes, she replied.  **Awww. Bernie’s crush is back <3 <3 <3 Are you going to do anything special?**

**I’m going to give him a new flower and the plushie I made after the crow I met at Marianne’s!** She snapped a photo of Bertram.

**The two of you are so sweet! I’m rooting for you both!**

Bernadetta fell asleep. A vibration woke her up. But she didn’t remember setting her alarm to vibrate. It was supposed to make a noise. She saw it was Hubert sending her a text message—and it was starting to grow a little dark outside. 

She forgot to set it to PM, not AM.  _ Oh no! I set the alarm for the wrong time! Stupid Bernie! Never able to do things right!  _ She checked the message.

**Would you like tonight to be an indoors or outdoors night? I’ll be on my way shortly, but I would like to know.**

Bernadetta’s heart began to beat erratically again. Firstly, because he was starting to adopt her labels of inside vs outside; and second, because he was on his way. 

She wasn’t prepared at all for his homecoming and she had nowhere near enough time to get ready for him. 

**I look like a mess right now considering I overslept just now! Indoors would be nice.**

She began to comb her hair and went through her closet. 

**You’d never look like a mess to me.** He then sent her a second message.  **Alright. I’ll see you soon.**

Nothing in her closet worked. She debated on wearing the yellow dress she wore during her escape, but went against it. Instead, she decided to wear a pair of shorts (after checking her legs meticulously for any embarrassing hairs) and a royal blue blouse. It was simple, but it would have to do. Especially since it was almost summer. 

She paced and paced through the first floor until she heard the sound of a car being parked just outside her driveway. Bernadetta restrained herself from flying out the door and into his arms. He probably would have wanted a cooler, more unaffected girl, not one who acted like a maniac. 

Yet she couldn’t restrain herself when he was on the other side of her door. “Hubert!” She barely got a look at him when she flew into his arms. The butterflies were flying inside her once more and all around her. She felt happy and full, and those feelings intensified when his arms wrapped around her. 

They stayed like that for a minute before she remembered herself. And the fact that he was half outside. “Sorry! I should invite you inside! That’s so rude of me!”

“I don’t consider it rude if I’m met with an embrace,” he said. 

Hubert hadn’t changed much. His jacket was wide open, showing a black vest with buttons all over and under that was a white dress shirt. Bernadetta wondered if he ever felt hot under that.  _ Maybe he should take some of those clothes off.  _

She got red thanks to her brain getting the best of her. 

_ No! No! No! Why am I thinking that? _

Hubert had gone red, too, and tried to visibly hide that by looking away. 

_ Can he read my thoughts? Oh no. Please don’t read them, ahhh! _

They both stood there awkwardly. Bernadetta’s thoughts went blank. Then after a few seconds of staring at Hubert (he had gotten thinner again, but thankfully not as thin as she feared and his teeth were more coffee stained than ever, and there were black circles under his eyes again!), her thoughts snapped back to one hundred a second. 

“I’m sorry, I wanted to make something for you to eat, but I kinda fell asleep.”

“It’s not a problem. You don’t have to make me anything,” he began.

“But I want to!”

“Bernie, I would rather you not put so much strain on me.”

Bernadetta remembered Bertram, who stood at her dining table, but she wanted to get this out. It was now or never. “Hubert, you’re my...um...oooh! How do I say this?” She suddenly felt hot, and she could hear her voice shaking. Hubert made a face she hadn't seen him make before, his lips in a slight pout and his eyes expectant, as though he were saying, _ I’m your what?  _ “We’re um, dating, so I guess we’re together? Or maybe not? I’m not really sure how this works!” She finished the last sentence off quickly.

“I am just as confused about the process as you are. Do you want to be together?” he asked. “As in formally in a relationship?”

Bernadetta felt as though her heart would somehow spill out of her chest for Hubert to see. She was frozen on the spot. _ Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to be your girlfriend! Please be my boyfriend!  _ “I mean, I really don’t know how this thing works! It’s not like I’m seeing anyone else, right? So um, let’s stick together!”  _ That was really bad, Bernie.  _ “You know, like glue!”  _ Great job, Bernie! You  _ just _ made it even worse! _

“I doubt I will be seeing anyone else anytime soon. You have my full interest.”

“G-good! Um, I was going to um...I made you a late birthday present! But I guess this could also be a um, ‘Congrats! You’re Bernie’s Boyfriend Now’ gift!”

“What’s this?” he asked expectantly when she held Bertram in her arms.

“I made this for you...as a late birthday present. But we’re in the Garland Moon now so it’s kinda late. Sorry about that!”

Hubert accepted the crow plushie, turning its face in his direction. “You have no reason to be sorry.” His eyes never left the crow. He gently patted its head. “This is perhaps one of the kindest gestures anyone has ever done for me.”

Bernadetta felt heat flush all over her body. “R-really?”

“Yes.”

His gaze moved from the crow to her. He took a step closer. She was paralyzed by a sudden embarrassment. Hubert remained in place. “His name’s Bertram, by the way!” she said, babbling. “Oh! And I made you a new flower! You must be getting bored of wearing the aster and the peony so I made you a gladiolus!” She took out a purple flower, a few shades lighter than her hair from near where Bertram was and extended it in Hubert’s direction. “Um...please take it!”

“Well, well, I wasn’t expecting a barrage of gifts from you,” he said, pinning the flower to his suit. She recognized it as a suit she helped alter.

Bernadetta closed her eyes. She struggled to get the words out. “I just...I really missed you, Hubert!”

“I missed you, as well, Bernie.” 

She wanted to hug him for saying that but her feet were rooted to the spot. This was all so  _ new  _ to her. These feelings, the fact that they mutually agreed to be in a relationship, it was all so daunting to her!

“My apologies, Bernie, but I believe you look...ill at ease?” he asked. 

She opened her eyes again. Did he take a step back? She felt a little more relieved from this. “Oh, um. I’m a little overwhelmed. That’s all.”

“I could leave and come back another day if it’s too much,” he said. 

“No! Stay here! Just for a little bit.” She hated how awkward she was acting right now. 

Hubert crossed his arms, which made her immediately tense.  _ Is he mad at me for being indecisive? Great, you’ve agreed to be his girlfriend for five minutes and you’ve already made him angry. Good going, Bernie, you stupid idiot. _ He uncrossed his arms a second later, as though he were conscious of his mistake. “Is there anything I, no,  _ we  _ can do to make you feel slightly less overwhelmed? I must admit I’m feeling a similar way as well.” Bernadetta felt envious that he could hide his nerves better than she could right now.

“Um...um, maybe we can watch a movie again? Do you have time to watch one with me?”

“Of course. We already lost enough time. I’d gladly make up for the lost time between us. The film synopsis you once showed me about the woman and the monster had intrigued me.” 

Bernie was surprised by his excellent memory. “Oh, you know that movie?  _ The Form of Water _ ? It’s one of my favorites! Um, there is a um…” Bernadetta tried to find the words, but decided to be blunt with it, “There’s a sex scene, but it’s not romantic at all! It’s quite terrible, actually, but good for the story. Oh, and a cat gets eaten. You’re not bothered by that, are you? I always feel so sad for the poor kitty!”

“Very few things bother me, Bernie.” She began to fiddle with the TV when Hubert spoke again. “Would you be opposed to ordering delivery or perhaps making popcorn? I wouldn’t mind paying for our food once more.”

“Um, sure! Leonie keeps a stash of brochures from nearby places in the kitchen drawer right over there! She won’t mind if we look at it! You can pick whichever you like the most. I’ll go with whatever you choose.”

Hubert took out the brochures and Bernadetta followed, watching him go through the menus of places she and Leonie had in the past before he settled on a noodle place. Bernadetta told him what she wanted and let him make the phone call as she set the movie up. 

They sat down, with Bernadetta taking one side of the loveseat, Hubert with Bertram on the other the other as the movie played. 

She gazed at Hubert every few minutes, and he was intently observing the movie, and she felt her face going flush when the protagonist...was shown in a non explicit manner that she was doing...things to herself in the bathtub. Things Bernadetta had done while thinking of Hubert. 

Who was now her boyfriend. 

_ Boyfriend. He’s my boyfriend.  _

She racked her mind over things she could feasibly do now that the label between them was real and established. She knew she wasn’t ready for anything sexual, at least for the time being. And Hubert seemed to be okay with that, which she liked. 

But more importantly, now that the label  _ was  _ real and mutually established between them, she wanted to show him she was a good person to be with. Yet she didn’t know how to do this. She was afraid he’d lose interest in her and break up now that the stakes had been elevated. 

Perhaps she would need to ask Hilda about all of this. If Hilda were readily available. 

Bernadetta squirmed in her seat, her back feeling strained after sitting so rigidly for a while. Hubert took notice. Of course he did.

“Are you uncomfortable?” 

“Um, a little…” Bernadetta struggled with telling him. “Um...can I like...um…”  _ Say it!  _ “Can I sit back?” she said too quickly.

Hubert nodded, giving her the go ahead as she reclined into his side. She placed her head just under his shoulder, her back against his chest as she curled her legs on the other end. 

Hubert surprised her by placing his arm around her. “Comfortable now?”

Despite her heart beating like a drum from their closeness, she couldn’t help but think of  _ how right _ this felt to her. He felt perfect against her, his body big enough for her to feel...safe. No one had ever made her feel this secure before, at least not physically, anyway. “Yes,” she said. “How about you, Hubert? Are you okay with this?”

“ _ Very _ ,” he said, his arm around her tightening a little. If this were a few months ago, she’d have felt trapped by his grip on her. But now...She relaxed herself around him and watched the movie, paying slightly more attention to it now, despite her being intricately aware of her closeness to Hubert. 

She wondered if he was feeling the same way. She tried to find a heartbeat against her back, but felt nothing and his breathing seemed just fine. Maybe he was used to this sort of thing. 

The sex scene came on and it was just as awkward as she remembered. She thought back to her fiancé. She couldn’t help but think of it now that she saw the antagonist being so violent and so cruel to his wife, as he covered her mouth during such an intimate act. She wondered if she hadn't run away would she be like this man’s poor wife, just following her father’s orders to be quiet and submissive?

At that moment, Bernadetta heard a knock on her door. She let out a small yelp and jumped. Hubert’s arm pried apart from her. Even though the thoughts about her father’s goons coming to get her lasted for approximately a second, she still felt ashamed for reacting the way she did. 

“It must be our dinner. I’ll go get it,” he said. 

And of course this happened right in the middle of the sex scene, where the delivery person would see it through the door and think they were weird. Her embarrassment grew. Her thoughts began to spread and grow, like a seedling beginning to sprout. Even though her relationship with Hubert was innocent and, well, a sprout, her father would have...would have…

“Is something the matter?” Hubert asked when he set aside the bags on the table. She was too lost in her thoughts.

“Their knock was a little loud and I was pretty immersed in the movie, hehe,” she said, trying to mask her thoughts. Even though that wasn't the clear truth, she wasn’t lying to him, either.

She saw him take out his meal. His food smelled remarkably spicy. Hers was filled with lots and lots of vegetables.  _ We really have different tastes in food, _ she thought. She had no desire to try his food and he took one glance at her mushrooms and carrots and ignored what she was having. They resumed the movie and ate in a comfortable silence as the protagonist slowly fell in love with the monster.

The monster was so tender to the woman, despite his inability to speak, his actions spoke volumes as he caressed her hair while he kissed her lips. She looked so comfortable in his embrace, and so happy. The movie cut away as he shredded her clothes off. Literally.

Bernadetta’s thoughts began to race again as they were shown cuddling after their implied lovemaking. She was back to sitting on her side of the loveseat as rigid as before, but she was keenly aware of Hubert’s presence more than ever. She wondered if she ever chose to be intimate with Hubert, would he be like the monster from the movie? Gentle, yet affectionate despite his appearance and looming stature? He was certainly less conventionally attractive compared to her fiancé, but he was so kind to her and treated her with so much respect, even though she was raised to believe she wasn’t worthy of anything. It was why she wanted to be his girlfriend.

It was why she liked to hug him. 

Why she liked to make him things he didn’t ask for.

Why she felt comfortable from their short cuddling session just now.

Why she felt comfortable around him in  _ general  _ these days. 

He didn’t need the flower anymore. The flower he wore no longer made him less scary. He proved that he was a good person all on his own. She had gotten over his intimidating appearance weeks and weeks ago, yet she couldn’t quite remember when, exactly. But she deeply enjoyed him wearing her flowers during his every visit.

The movie finished with the couple swimming together into the unknown. The antagonist had been killed by the monster and all was well, even though there was a big data breach due to the monster’s escape. 

“Impressive, Bernie,” Hubert said as the credits rolled. 

“What’s impressive?”

“Your peculiar taste in media has yet to disappoint me. Whoever thought a woman could fall in love with a...creature and they would become the protagonists?”

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

“In a typical setting, a creature such as this one would always be the designated villain. Rampaging and destroying the lives of humans. Yet not in this film.” Hubert brought a hand up to his chin and pursed his lips. “It’s really quite fascinating. I often hear Edelgard’s employees talk about something they watched and it always sounds so formulaic. A hero, typically superhuman, rises and saves the world. The plot is all the same.”

“I don’t really watch those,” she said. “I just...I don’t know. That stuff doesn’t appeal to me. And with both movies we watched, I can easily put myself in the character’s shoes.” 

Hubert got out of his seat. “It’s getting late,” he said. “I should go.” He helped her put away the discarded trays of food in the trash.

Bernadetta nodded. “I know. You have to work again tomorrow. But please take it easy. ” She got up, following behind him as he grabbed Bertram and took out his car keys. “Drive safe, okay?”

“Undoubtedly, Bernie.” She reached out to hug him and he returned her embrace. Maybe she was just imagining it, but his hug was a little tighter than before, a little longer, and she felt a little fuller.

But Hubert had to let go, and as much as a little voice in her head begged her to ask him to stay over and cuddle, she was too shy, too anxious to actually say a word. So instead she let him go and waved goodbye when he started the car and left her driveway. 

Bernadetta felt that feeling once more, the emptiness similar to the very same one she felt when he left on a trip with Edelgard returned. But she knew he’d always be back another day. Maybe then, she would learn to grow bolder with him. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert reflects on the past, present, and future. A Hubert centric chapter.

_One Year Ago_

Whenever Hubert was doing something, he always thought of the ways Edelgard would react to it. He always strived for a satisfactory performance on the job front. It was just last year when Edelgard had ascended to this position and he wouldn’t squander the two years she had in office. Already their first year was almost up and Hubert worked tirelessly to make it a success. 

Everything and everything had become his business and he was unafraid of using less than honorable methods to achieve these means so that Edelgard could rise to the occasion, just as she was meant to, even if this meant associating with others of ill-repute or silencing Edelgard’s rivals through whatever means necessary (at worst, though blackmail). This only served so that Edelgard herself could be seen as pure...as above the fray. It was something he was content to do, and eagerly so. 

She already had an uphill battle, considering how Ionius was one moment, the most powerful man in the continent to being reduced to ashes in one fell swoop, his own father a collaborator and conspirator in the matter. People said Edelgard was just like her father. That she would be full of pretty words but ultimately useless. That she would ignore the plight of everyone in Adrestia and focus on her needs alone. Ionius was not that type of person, and neither was Edelgard. 

Hubert had seen enough of the forged documents and whenever the day when Edelgard would seize her father’s former glory arrived, they would expose every known dirty secret they had gathered. It was her will, yes, but Hubert had his own personal motivation to see this through.

“I took the liberty of going through your documents,” Hubert said, readying the keys to his car. He had his own routine, distinct from everyone else’s. He would wake up early in the morning, drive to Edelgard’s place and drive them to work, drive her back home, and then he would spend most of the evening at work with several cups of coffee to accompany him. “Tonight I will monitor for the faxed and signed documents from—”

“Enough, Hubert,” Edelgard said as she entered the passenger side of his car. “I figured out what I want for my birthday this year.”

Hubert was ready to listen, now fully waiting on her to speak. There was about a week left until her birthday and she hadn’t expressed a desire for anything yet. “Of course, I will get you anything you want. I’ll likely have to expedite any orders but I will bring about anything you wish into fruition.”

“I don’t believe this is something that you can simply order. In fact this request of mine lacks any and all materials.”

Hubert did not understand. If she was talking about love or something romantic, then that would require his entire mindset to change. He now had little interest in forming any kinds of romantic bonds. If that were the case, then he would have to reject Edelgard. 

Edelgard quickly picked up on his confusion. “Allow me to explain,” she said as he pulled away from the parking spot. “I must admit, I am a little nervous in asking you about this.”

“I won’t know unless I hear it. Please go on.”

“Hubert, you’ve done so much for me...ever since we were kids. You’ve always been my best and dearest friend and I appreciate all of the effort you’ve shown to me. But…”

“But…” he repeated while Edelgard looked for the words to say.

“You’ve lived your life for me and for me alone.”

“My desires are your desires, Edelgard.”

“Are they?” she asked. 

“Yes. And they’ve only become more resolute as time goes on.” Hubert turned to a main road. He was a careful driver, even more so since Edelgard was his passenger and she was so frail. 

“Hubert, I love you and I appreciate your loyalty and devotion, but I’m worried about you. Even now, you plan to drop me off and go back to the office until who knows when and then when the weekend rolls around you’ll accompany me on all of my errands or play chess with me. I feel regret for not bringing this up sooner, but our friendship and your servitude has taken a toll on your mindset and your health, and I’m afraid this will consume you.”

“Edelgard—”

“I’m not done yet! Let me finish, will you, Hubert?” She cleared her throat. “We—I—need to be independent from you. I’m worried about you, Hubert. You’re not living your life the way you should, because of me.”

“That’s not true.” Hubert could barely process what she was saying and he tried his best to keep his eyes on the road.

“Hubert. You don’t do anything outside of our interactions. I’ve never seen you going out to a function on your own, or do fun things like make friends or date someone.”

“Date?” he cackled. “Preposterous.”

“You say that now, Hubert, but it’s because you’ve never even tried. I’ve already hired a chauffeur starting Monday. That should give you a little more sleep time in the mornings and I will be able to complete any errands I need over the weekends. I will invite you when I wish for you to come over. I implore that you take your newfound time away from me to rest. I worry about the black circles under your eyes.”

Hubert couldn’t understand why she was being so petulant.

“Hubert, you’ve given me everything for years and years. You’re so special to me, and for my birthday, my sole wish is to see you become happy. This is the only way I can see it happen. Please stop protesting and accept this is what I want.”

“Truly?” he asked. He couldn’t understand it. Was she doing this for a deeper reason? Was this her way of ending their friendship?

“I know what you’re thinking, and no, this isn’t going to impact our friendship. I know you’re feeling the sting of rejection again, but...” It was a rare moment of her acknowledging the terrible kiss he had given her years ago. A kiss that had resulted in him not speaking to her for weeks aside from clipped sentences until she told him she had forgiven him and wanted his friendship back. And now their relationship would change yet again, but permanently this time. Hubert didn’t know how he could possibly deal with this. “You know what? I bet in a year, everything will change and you’ll be much happier.” He could hear the smile in her voice. Hubert glowered at her. “I can’t wait!”

* * *

  
_Present Day_

To Hubert, perfection was something his father always wanted him to achieve. The pressure had always been intense and Hubert would always suffer the consequences whenever he disappointed his father. Whether that would result in being locked in his room without dinner or reprimanding him physically, Hubert knew better to not disappoint his father. 

He worked hard to achieve results, not caring about how it may have affected other people. 

Perfection was what people like Edelgard achieved so easily. Edelgard, who so often managed to excel in everything she did. All he could do was facilitate and assist her in carrying out her goals.

And now he was seeing perfection in Bernie. 

He knew that the concept was perfection was nothing but a trite illusion his father had drilled into him, but he still felt this irrational need to find it whenever he could. Hubert promised himself if he ever became a father, he wouldn’t make that mistake. Then again, his father had committed many errors in raising him, and in areas most certainly beyond. Hubert would strive to break the chains his father had shackled him with.

The feeling that he had the other night with Bernie, when he held her in his arms, however brief, was pure and utter perfection to him. Her body fit so well against his as well as the soft pressure he felt when she reclined against him. The way she nestled over his body and allowed him to hold her... Hubert couldn’t stop thinking about it and how touching her like this was such a privilege he felt he didn’t deserve. 

He remembered distinctly fantasizing about having a moment like this before he nearly blew their friendship into smithereens with that kiss, but that fantasy managed to pale in comparison to when he finally got to hold her. And that had opened the floodgates into even more fantasies about her. Each and every time he closed his eyes he was met with more idyllic thoughts consisting of the two of them together, and when he woke up, he had to oftentimes take care of the fact that he was beginning to feel overwhelmed and beset by his constant need to be in her presence. Those few minutes where he lay in bed, indulging in his fantasies could only do so much for him.

Despite that, he knew he had the proper label of being her boyfriend did not mean he had the allowance to do just anything with her. He enjoyed that Bernie was his significant other now and reveled in being called Bernie’s boyfriend, but he knew that one wrong move from him would potentially risk destroying the relationship.

“Hey, are you doing okay?” Lysithea asked him. 

“I’m fine,” he said.

He was posting a screenshot on Flitter about Edelgard’s interest in history and something about Wilhelm von Hresvelg to keep the audience entertained. Today was said to be his birthday, after all.

“Are you really going to post historical crap on Edelgard’s account? I thought I told you that posting Hoes Mad memes was enough for people!”

“Then perhaps I ought to put that in this picture then.”

“That’s more like it!” Lysithea said. “People don’t want a history lecture. They want memes and mindless shit! Not this ‘how do you do, fellow kids’ stuff! That’s only going to get you made fun of. Also, didn’t you just get a really good picture of Edelgard drinking tea? That’s what people want to see!”

Hubert worked on a text editor website adding something or another about tea and posted a meme under it. It got more likes than the historical image.

“Well, I guess it’s good you’re still learning,” Lysithea said. She rested on his desk. “How’s it going with your girlfriend?” she asked. “You’re kind of cagey about her so I’m very, very curious!”

“We’ve become exclusive now.”

“You weren’t before?”

Hubert shook his head. “She’s very shy, to put it mildly.”

“Jeez, you’re quite awful at this.”

“And just how long were you friends with Cyril before you went on your first date with him?” Hubert said, biting back.

He could see the hesitation in Lysithea’s eyes, as well as the pink tinge in her cheeks. It was something of a bluff, but he recalled her saying they had been friends for years before they started dating. “I...Five years! But does that _really_ matter?”

Hubert saw her visible exasperation at him having gotten her frustrations out in the open and he savored every second of it. “Perhaps it does. Perhaps you’re guiding me in an effort not to repeat your mistakes, and for that, I appreciate it, Lysithea.”

“Wh-whatever. It’s not like I won’t see her next week anyway at the party.”

Hubert knew he would need to go on a mental and physical lockdown if he wanted to survive the party. He didn’t do well in such social events, but perhaps it would be easier having someone to share the burden with. Someone who had the same anxiety about going out to these large events.

Edelgard found him towards the end of the workday.

“Hubert!” she said, her violet eyes expectant. Hubert knew whenever she made that expression, she was about to ask him to do something for her. 

“Yes?”

“Is it possible if I can hang out with your girlfriend sometime this weekend? But kind of like a girl’s day? Just the two of us?” Edelgard played with a strand of her hair. “Do you think she’d feel better in a one-to-one? I don’t have her contact information or anything of the like so perhaps you can act as an intermediary between the two of us.”

Hubert wasn’t sure just how quickly Bernie would be to accept Edelgard’s invitation. But since he and Bernie were now in a committed relationship, then it was critical for her to get to know Edelgard, who was the closest thing Hubert had to family. “I will discuss it with her over coffee. We planned on meeting after work.”

Edelgard smiled. Her smile was wide and toothy and Hubert thought she looked like a small bird. She rarely smiled at him like this. “What is it?”

“You. Leaving work with the rest of us. And going on a date with your girlfriend. I never thought I’d see such a thing. Do you remember that talk we had a year ago?”

Hubert remembered it well. And Edelgard had near perfect memory, so there was no going around it. “Yes. I do.”

“Are you happier?”

Hubert swallowed. He thought of how much his life changed ever since Edelgard declared her independence. Hubert had suddenly been given more time, yet he didn’t know what to do half the time so he read or cleaned or even cooked a meal or two. But then he encountered Bernie and everything had changed. He was out of his apartment and not working a lot more and he was spending more and more time with her. Each time they met, he felt himself...Well, his feelings were becoming more out of control and Hubert did not know how to grasp that. “Yes, Edelgard. I’m happier now.”

“I’m glad you’re doing better. I mean, you certainly look so. I don’t think it’s all Bernie, though. I think you’ve always contributed to your own happiness.”

There was a pause between them. “You still haven’t told me what you’d like as a gift this year,” he said. 

“Why should I? I’ve gotten exactly what I wanted this year already.”

*

Bernie had arrived early to the coffee shop. Hubert had been astounded by her timely arrival.

“Hey, Hubert!” she said. 

“Good afternoon, Bernie.”

She initiated an embrace between the two of them, then grew red from the gesture when she pulled apart from him. Hubert felt himself turning scarlet again for the upteemth time around her. He had now accepted that was just how every encounter with Bernie would be. It didn’t make his ruddy cheeks any less mortifying.

“Sorry! I....Was that too much PDA?” she asked.

Hubert couldn’t answer that question. He too, felt uncomfortable with public displays of affection. For years, he faced a persistent annoyance in seeing couples show affection by publicly shoving each other’s tongues down their throats or watching their hands wander, or worse. It was such a rude gesture and Hubert couldn’t understand why they could keep their affection under closed doors. Besides, there was a certain allure to doing so where no one could see. “Perhaps we ought to stick to hand holding, then?” he offered.

“O-of course, yeah!” 

The barista had recognized them as he took their orders. One cappuccino (Hubert had been feeling bold today) and one mocha latte for Bernie, along with some red velvet cake.

They sat in a corner, away from the windows as they began to talk. Bernie idly lay her hand down on the table and Hubert took it. Their fingers intertwined. Even in her shorts and loose red striped shirt, Hubert thought Bernie looked pretty. They may have been mutually adverse to public displays of affection, but he couldn’t help but toy with the idea of kissing the foam away from the top of her lip. He was more than humbled to be holding her hand so boldly for everyone to see here. Not that there were many people in this establishment at such an hour.

“Edelgard wishes to see you again,” he said. “Would you be ready for that?”

“Um...what does she have in mind?” Hubert was relieved she didn’t bring up her fears of Edelgard disliking her. 

“She expressed an interest in having something of a girl’s day so I would only be there to drop you off and pick you up. How would that sound?”

Bernie’s eyes met his. She nodded. “Sure! I can try again. And her birthday’s coming up, so...Oh, I should make her a present. I won’t have time to crochet her an animal, but surely I could think of something! I’ve just spent a lot of time making alterations to my outfit for her party.”

Hubert’s thumb ran along the line between her thumb’s knuckle in an up and down motion. “Edelgard would be delighted to hear all of that. To her, your best gift is to simply befriend her.”

Bernie looked at him, eyes blinking. Her hand squeezed his some more “I do want to be her friend! After all, she’s your best friend, you know? I just know I can get a little anxious around new people.”

“You’ll do fine, Bernie. All she wants is to know who my girlfriend is, exactly. And I would greatly enjoy it if the two of you became friends.”

She blushed at his mentioning of the word “girlfriend”.

They drank their coffees in silence, neither of them letting go of the other’s hand. Hubert liked being at this pace sometimes, where they could quietly show what he considered affection for each other. Or at least he _wanted_ to believe Bernie was showing affection. Otherwise she wouldn’t have brought on the prospect of being his girlfriend. 

A thought nagged at him. Especially since Edelgard was now becoming more insistent in becoming Bernie’s friend, and justifiably so. It was important to Hubert that he would be as transparent as possible to Bernie about his longtime infatuation with Edelgard. But it wasn’t something he was comfortable saying in this coffee shop. 

“May I drive you home?” he asked. 

“Sure! Do you want to watch something with me? Um, maybe we can try out a show together and um…” He carefully hovered his hand over the small of her back as they walked to his car. “Cuddle?” she said her voice an octave higher. 

“Is that what you’d like?” he asked, in an attempt to keep his voice steady. There was nothing he wanted more than to hold her once more. Everything else was less important than that. His heart pounded in his chest. How was it that Bernie always made him feel this alive? Perhaps telling her about his prior feelings for Edelgard while in his arms was the best way to tell her without...Hubert couldn’t foresee how that conversation would go. If anything, he still had more handkerchiefs at his disposal, but with Bernie, things could go easily wrong at the drop of a hat. 

“Um...yes! I want to try that again...for longer this time.”

“Very well, then,” he said, moving away from her as she opened the car door and went inside. The ride to her home was less than five minutes away but felt like his usual commute from his apartment to her home as he felt the anticipation of holding her once more. He felt his nerves glow alight as he parked in front of her driveway and opened the door for her. 

Leonie had claimed the living room area. “Hey you two!”

Bernie went red as Leonie turned to the two of them. 

Bernie stopped in the living area. “H-hey Leonie!” 

“It’s good to see you again, Hubert!” Leonie said. She had claimed the area herself. Hubert had almost forgotten Leonie was Bernie’s roommate, but here she was, drinking a can of soda, her feet propped on the table. 

“Yes, likewise.”

“Um...Hubert and I were um, going to go upstairs and um...hang out for a bit!” Hubert saw she turned a shade of red. He thought of how he had only been upstairs to her room once, yet it left an imprint on his mind as that was the very place they met. It was also the setting of at least half of his dreams involving her.

“Alright. I won’t like...interrupt or anything but if you need me for whatever reason I’m here and stuff,” she said, her tone casual.

“Bernie?” he said as she began to climb up the stairs in a daze.

“Sorry, I was thinking about my room. It’s kind of a mess. I’ve been working on the outfit I’m wearing to Edelgard’s party and there’s fabrics everywhere! I’m um...sorry!”

Hubert knew that wasn’t the case. “Are you afraid Leonie might get the wrong idea? If that’s the case, then—”

“Hubert, don’t say what I know you’re going to say!” she said. She was beginning to know him all too well. He laughed as she opened the door to her room. 

She wasn’t exaggerating when she said her room was a mess, but Hubert tried to overlook it when a cursory glance at the floor showed there weren’t any needles on the floor. She had something of a short purple and gold dress hanging on the rack. Her bed was unmade, with her stuffed bear and the hedgehog settled in different parts of the bed. He was reminded of Bertram, who was perched in between his pillows back in his apartment.

Compared to his room, Bernie’s room showed every facet of her personality. From the in-progress creations to the completed ones laying in her windowsill and in her desk. There were drawings hanging everywhere all over the walls, of landscapes and people he did not recognize, and even a self-portrait. Her room looked cosy to him.

“I’m sorry! Bernie’s a mess!”

“If it bothers you, we can pick up your scattered items together.”

“L-leave it,” she said. “You’re um, my guest so like...I’ll get my laptop and um...you can settle in! I’m sorry that my bed is unmade. I don’t really...I don’t make my bed too often if it bothers you.”

“It’s fine.” Hubert sat down at the foot of her bed as she turned on her laptop and began to close what he saw were dozens of tabs. Several songs were playing at once. It was an absolute cacophony. 

She unplugged her laptop from its power cord and settled on the bed beside him. He moved more towards the center, painfully aware the space was small between them. 

“Um...lie down,” she said. 

He moved straight towards the pillows as if he were going to go to sleep. “Like this?”

“Yes! Um…” She moved the stuffed animals to the desk and then positioned herself in front of him, snuggling up against his body. For a moment, Hubert closed his eyes by the sensation of her being so close to him and placed a hand around her waist, another went around her arms. He didn’t dare move his hand away. “That’s good.” She turned on a TV show about government workers. It seemed like a comedy.

Hubert placed his chin on the top of her head. He could smell the floral scent of her shampoo in her hair. He couldn’t pay attention to the show, every inch of his body was on high alert to its closeness to hers. She was soft to the touch and even though he was unable to feel the skin underneath, he would wager she was soft underneath as well. He didn’t want to mess this moment up, yet at the same time, all it took was for her to turn around if she did, he was terrified his impulse control would betray him again. 

“I’ve never done this before,” he said. 

“Cuddle?” she asked. 

“No, never.” He held her a little tighter. She let out a small gasp, which did something to him. _Do not turn her around._ He was hoping she couldn’t feel his heartbeat or...or...his...

“Me neither,” she said. “I feel less alone now that you say it.” She paused. “You’re not a bad big spoon,” she said, joking. “Am I a good little spoon?” 

“Yes. You’re a perfect little spoon.”

The show kept playing and Hubert was distracted, as he was wondering if now was the right time to bring this up. Perhaps in hindsight maybe it was better to bring it up during their coffee shop date.

“There’s something I should tell you,” he blurted out. 

“Wh-what is it?” she asked. The show continued. 

“A long time ago, I...er, I used to fancy Edelgard.” There, it was out in the open. 

Bernie tensed in his arms. “Oh. She’s really pretty, though. I can see why.”

Hubert hoped she wasn’t comparing herself to Edelgard right now. “It was a youthful infatuation. And er... one-sided on my end, I ought to mention. I do not know if she’ll tell you about that, but it’s best to hear it from me. I don’t want to keep anything from you, Bernie.”

“O-oh,” she said. “Were you in love with her?”

“At the time, I believed I was. But a lot of my feelings towards her were…” Hubert tried to find the words. “Shallow. Perhaps immature would be more fitting.”

“How long did you um, have feelings for her?” her voice was small, too small for Hubert's liking.

“Too long to not notice she didn’t possess any for me.” Hubert thought about his feelings for Edelgard. He would read books on the topic and often found himself using contrived metaphors whenever he thought of her. She was the light to his darkness, the sun to his moon, and so on. It was pathetic and nauseating. 

With Bernie, Hubert couldn’t think of his feelings in that sort of way. He was a graceless and gangling and a gauche mess around her. Even now, he was finally in her bed and he couldn’t formulate a coherent thought. But he savored every moment they were together and he felt comfortable around her. He felt like he was allowed to discover himself, whoever that was. And he wanted nothing more than to make her feel happy—despite her anxiety and her self-hatred getting in the way— because he was happiest when he was with her.

 _Is this...is this_ love _I’m feeling?_

If there was anything he knew about his feelings towards Bernie was that they did not feel shallow by comparison, nor did he feel like a fool for having feelings for her.

Hubert closed his eyes, trying to get back to the conversation he was having. “Those feelings I once had ended long, long ago and are now irrelevant. I still love Edelgard, but my love for her is familiar. She is like family to me and I’d like to believe she feels the same way.”

“Oh, um...okay! Thanks for letting me know, Hubert!” She was quiet, but Hubert felt her breathing grow a little shallow. “I’ve never...I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way towards anyone before. I mean, I’m a recluse! It’s not like guys would just end up knocking at my door and falling into my room, right?”

“I did,” Hubert said.

Bernie laughed, her chest vibrating against his arms. His heartbeat quickened at her reaction. He had an impulse to kiss the top of her head repeatedly but instead he held her tighter as she wiggled all around him in her laughter.

“Okay, can I rewind this show a little?” she said once her laughter died down. She freed herself from him and rewound. They then continued with the series. Hubert had never felt this comfortable and cared for in his entire life. 

After a few episodes, Hubert forced himself to get out of her bed. He was certain his hair was tousled and there were wrinkles all over his clothes. He would have to iron them. 

“I have to go,” he said. 

“I know. You should come again. Hmm maybe tomorrow?” she asked. 

He tried not to smile at her invitation. “I’d like that. Would you accept my visit, then?” 

She nodded with enthusiasm. “I can treat you with my experimental new cake!”

“Alright, then.” She walked with him downstairs. Leonie was gone and all was still. She gave him one last embrace before Hubert drove home. 

When he got home, he took out a pen and an unused composition book. He didn’t know if his feelings for Bernie were genuine, but perhaps if he was able to write it out, then maybe he could come to terms with it and sort them out. It no longer mattered if it was some kind of foolish act of saccharine sentimentality he was doing. Then he could decide for himself once he did so. Because right now, he was rapidly coming to the realization that he was in love with her. 

To Hubert, there was nothing more terrifying.

**_Things I Love About Bernie:_ **

  * **_Her boundless creativity. She crafts with innovation and shows true artistry._**
  * _**She works on all of her creations meticulously and with care…**_



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've saved hashtag 420/the weed number for Bernadetta and she came with Ferdinand on the banner, aka my other otp. I hope y'all wish me luck getting her!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta gets closer to friends both old and new while Hubert tries and mostly fails to idle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last breather chapter before things escalate a tiny bit in both plot and in their relationship.

Girl’s night had been haphazard these past few weeks and this week was no exception. Hilda had been forced to sit out in recent weeks due to it being one of the busiest times of the year for her, yet thankfully she was here. 

These few weeks always had at least one person missing.

This week’s was Marianne, who had been struck by a particularly nasty cold.

“So tell us how’s it going with your boyfriend?” Hilda asked. “I feel as though you’re depriving us of all the deets!” 

“Um…” Bernadetta said. “We’ve been watching this TV show together lately and um...cuddling. It’s really nice!”

Hilda cooed while Lysithea and Leonie looked neutral. 

“Is that why he’s been spending so much time upstairs lately?” Leonie asked. 

Hilda looked shocked while Lysithea smirked. 

Bernadetta placed her head against the table. “Yes! We’re not...we’re not doing anything lewd! I promise!”

“Leonie!” Hilda said. “You have no tact! You can’t just imply someone’s…”

“Like you’re not any better,” Leonie said. “You used to badger Lys if she, and I quote, ‘sealed the deal’ with Cyril. I was thinking they were working on some kind of project, I don’t know.” She shrugged.

“It was really annoying!” Lysithea said. “But that’s Hilda for you!”

“I’m not  _ that _ annoying! Am I?”

The other two girls were silent. Bernadetta followed in saying nothing at all. It wasn’t that Hilda was annoying, it was that she could be nosy and overwhelming.

“Aww…” 

“He um...we’re taking our relationship really slow, and I’m not ready to...sleep with him yet,” Bernadetta said. “And he respects that.” She wasn’t sure if she should tell them they hadn’t kissed since that disastrous event all those months ago. But perhaps... _ They’re good. If you tell them, they’ll maybe back off.  _ She took a deep breath. “I’m also a...a...virgin...eep!” she finished. She put her head down as to not see the other girls’ reactions. She hadn’t told Hubert yet, mostly because it hadn’t come up in conversation. Other than the one discussion they had about him once being in love with Edelgard a long time ago, they strayed from having any conversation that had to do with that sort of thing. Bernadetta knew if he remained interested in her somehow, then that conversation would need to happen.

When Bernadetta poked out of her self made hidey-hole, she saw Lysithea and Hilda staring at her mouth agape. Leonie crossed her arms. 

“So that means don’t bug her if she doesn’t want to share that kind of thing.”

“Um, alrighty, then!” Hilda said. 

Lysithea nodded. 

The silence was deafening. Bernadetta wanted to die on the spot.  _ Why did I bring that up? Why? Why?  _ She knew it wasn’t normal to be a twenty-seven year old virgin. Not in this day and age. 

“Are you waiting until marriage or something?” Lysithea asked. 

“Lysithea!” Leonie and Hilda said at the same time. 

“What? It’s a perfectly valid question!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Bernadetta shook her head. It was at first, her waiting until she was married. Her father drilled her into believing her only valuable quality was the fact that she was “untouched” and “unblemished”. That men liked that and found that to be prized. For a long time, she bought into that, especially since she had such few friends to speak of to tell her this was a terrible, terrible thing, that it was her body and her choice.

But once she left home for good and once she started making friends, she allowed her mindset to change a little. After the horrifying encounter with her fiancé, Bernadetta made an internal resolution. She would only be with someone she loved who would love her back. Someone who treated her with kindness and respect and most importantly, someone who thought the world of her. Despite the voice in the back of her head telling her marriage was important before doing anything like that, Bernadetta felt it was infinitely more important to be in love.

The thought sounded like an impossible dream, one straight out of a romance novel, but she was now wondering if perhaps Hubert had been the person she was waiting for. He treated her that way and beyond anything she hoped and dreamed. 

But if she was going to have sex with someone, she would need to be completely in love with them. 

That didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize about wanting and knowing what Hubert was like in bed every now and then, but in this reality, in this real world, that was how she felt and she wasn’t going to simply do such a major thing with someone without emotional repercussions. Even though he was her boyfriend, she knew that everything would need to fall into place before she made such a major decision. Despite that, she loved how right it felt to cuddle him and how she wished she could be a Brave Bernie and kiss him already.

“I’m waiting for the right..,” she said. She looked for the right words to say. Not "right person". _ No! That doesn’t sound fair to Hubert!  _ “Um...moment.” She put her head down again. “I...I don’t know!”

“That’s really brave, actually,” Hilda said. “Not many people do that!”

“I didn’t,” Leonie said. 

“Neither did I,” Hilda said. 

Bernadetta didn’t understand what they meant. “Um...can we change the subject?” No one protested. “So um…” She saw Lysithea eating her ice cream. “Lysithea, what ever happened to your boss?”

“My asshole boss?” she asked. 

“Um, yup?”

“Yeah,” Hilda said, “You don’t really complain about him these days.”

“He's become a lot more bearable now! That’s because I’ve been helping him with his girlfriend. He has no tact and is just  _ absolutely _ the most charmless human being on this earth, but it’s been working out for him. I know nothing about his girlfriend, except she seems to really like chocolate and flowers. I’ll meet her soon! "

“I guess anyone can find love,” Hilda said. “If he needs to gift her a ring or a necklace or some cute accessory, point him to me!” 

“Aren’t you in your busy season?” Leonie asked. 

“Um, yeah, but you never know where you can find new clients!” Hilda opened her bag and handed Lysithea a business card.

Lysithea accepted her business card. “Sure, I’ll give him that if he runs out of ideas. Knowing him he totally will!”

“Well, good luck to your boss!” Bernadetta said. 

“He’s not a bad guy, but I think he does deserve to be happy. Everyone keeps talking about how much of a depressing and humorless guy he is behind his back but he’s not bad, to say the very least!”

Bernadetta’s mind wandered towards Hubert and the accessories she had made him. So far she had made three flowers of each one, but recently, she made a duplicate copy of each one. They weren’t for him. She could always make them as a spare copy, but Hubert wasn’t the type of person to simply lose things. Not like she was. 

Rather, those were for her. 

And she couldn’t wait to show him. 

  
*

Bernadetta balked at the idea of wearing the matching flower two days later. She figured she would show him during Edelgard’s party and then make it a continuous thing after. 

Hubert drove her to Edelgard’s place, their hands held in a calm silence. 

“Are you nervous?” he asked. 

“A little,” she said. “I know you’re not going to be here with us.”

“You’d be correct.” It surprised her that she now saw him as a safety net of sorts. “Edelgard said she has some fun activities planned out. She wouldn’t tell me the details of them and said I wouldn’t understand.”

“Um, okay,” she said. “Are you going to do anything while we hang out?” she asked. 

“Perhaps read a book,” he said. “Perhaps check social media. One of my subordinates has taught me how to navigate through multiple platforms and I believe I understand the appeal of it. It’s easy to get sucked into the cracks and crevices of social media.”

“Do you have a Flitter or an InstantGram?”

Hubert shook his head. “I am an administrator of Edelgard’s account. Not the sole one, but I have access. Well, of course I have access to everything.”

“Oh.”

“Why the glum reaction, Bernie?”

“Oh, I was hoping you could um...follow me.” She liked the idea of her boyfriend following her and seeing her art. “I mean, I don’t really post pictures of myself. Mostly art and other stuff. I may have mentioned you a little, though.” Bernadetta did talk a tiny bit about her crush on him to strangers on social media, but nothing too embarrassing!

“Have you, now?” he said, teasing. “Surely, it must be something flattering, I take it?”

“Um...it’s pictures of the stuff I’ve made for you, like the cakes and food and progress on Bertram and stuff.” She tried to think back if she posted anything super embarrassing. Nothing came to mind. 

Hubert drove past the gates and Bernadetta held his hand even tighter before leaving. If she had been brave already, she’d have kissed him goodbye after his introductions to Edelgard, but all she could do was give him a short hug before he left.

“It’s good to see you again, Bernie!” Edelgard said. She didn’t expect a hug from her, but Bernadetta embraced her back. 

“Um, you too, Edelgard!”

Silence. Then Edelgard spoke. “Why don't we go to the living room!”

“Um, okay!”

Edelgard led her to a room with an impossibly large TV that was playing music via a playlist of soft pop music. There was a woman Bernadetta had never seen standing with a large briefcase.

“So um, what are we doing?” Bernadetta said. She felt a little less shy around her, but Edelgard still had a positively overwhelming energy. But now she understood it when Hubert said she was eager to please. That Bernadetta had mistaken her curiosity as an assessment of her.

“I brought a manicurist here for us! I’ve never gotten my nails done with someone so please choose a color.”

“Oh.” She had never gotten a manicure with anyone either. Not unless she counted her mother, who often did the manicures herself. She was especially good at making lines. “I’m wearing gloves to your party.”

“So am I!” Edelgard said with a laugh. “It's alright. You can still pick any color you like!”

The manicurist opened her briefcase, which was full of every single color palette. Bernadetta chose a deep purple polish, Edelgard a bright red. The manicurist began with their feet. 

Edegard turned to a stack of books. “I’ve been dying to do this with you since the moment Hubert told me he was seeing someone!”

“Our nails?” she asked. 

Edelgard laughed. “No! I mean, yes, kind of. I’ve been going through all of my photo albums and picking out the ones where Hubert appears with me. My mother loved to take pictures when we were kids. I also have them digitized!”

Bernadetta knew that would embarrass Hubert. “Um, won’t he…?”

“It’s basically a ritual people do, don't they? I’ve always wanted to show Hubert’s baby pictures to his significant other! Besides, I’ve organized them into chronological order, just for this moment!” She turned to the first page, where there were baby versions of Hubert crawling on the floor. He had tufts of black hair growing and piercing green eyes. It was the first time she was able to see both of his eyes.

“Aww! He’s so cute!"

“Hubert’s going to be angry when he finds out,” Edelgard said without a care in the world. Bernadetta saw a picture of Hubert as a toddler in his mother’s arms. She was really pretty, her green eyes soft and full of love. Hubert was always smiling in these pictures and it was actually the cutest thing in the world. 

Edelgard flipped the page where she began to appear. “This was when we met,” she said. By that point, Hubert had lost that smile. It turned into something of a pout, or was it a frown? He had also grown out his hair. It hung shaggy over both his eyes. 

Edelgard was small next to him and he looked like he would rather be anywhere else. 

“He looks kind of mad there,” she said. 

“I was a little bit of a brat in those days,” Edelgard said with a laugh. “I can’t see why he’d be happy in these pictures.”

But with each progressing photo, Hubert looked a little happier, at least when he was with Edelgard. 

“He’s cute!” Bernadetta said more often than not, cooing and awing and pointing at specific pictures she liked.

Hubert was always tall, it seemed, towering over Edelgard and then his mother. The pictures went from the child version of Hubert to a growing teenage boy. Bernadetta saw puberty wasn’t very kind to him. At some point he had a face full of pimples and his hair was longer than she had ever seen it. 

There were pictures of them together in group photos, showing them with various trophies. 

Bernadetta’s eyes fell on one in particular. “He’s got a piano with him. Is it his?” He seemed unaware he was being photographed, his eyes closed in the snapshot. Bernadetta thought he looked...serene.

“Oh that?”

“He told me he used to play piano not long after we met.”

“Um, yes, actually. He was...I’m pretty certain that was his fourteenth birthday. Hubert was really talented on the piano. He tried to teach me, but I always lagged behind him with my skills.” Bernadetta further inspected the picture. Her fingers grazed over his face. He looked calm, yet so melancholy. Bernadetta saw the same expression of furrowed brows and a frown in his face.

“Why does he look so sad?”

“His mother got sick around then.”

“Oh.”

“I got him a piano for his birthday two months ago, but he didn’t seem particularly delighted to get one. I think it’s probably collecting dust.”

“Maybe he’s playing it in secret?” Bernadetta offered. 

“I doubt it. I’ve been encouraging him to go back to his prior interests, but his father really did a number on him. I’m afraid the damage he did was irreparable.”

Speaking of, Bernadetta noticed his dad wasn't in any of the pictures. It was probably better not to ask about that. “Um. Keep going,” she said. 

The manicurist had finished their feet and moved onto Edelgard’s hands. She relinquished the book to Bernadetta. Hubert grew taller, his cheekbones sharper. By the time he was twenty, he had lost all of the acne and looked almost comically sinister, with one side of his hair completely covering an eye. 

Bernadetta also painfully noticed that in the pictures after that, whenever Edelgard appeared, he looked at her in a way that made her stomach churn. She felt a pinprick of jealousy at the way his gaze softened for her as though she were the only person his eyes were meant for. 

Even though the pictures were taken a decade ago, her seeing him like this towards someone else stung. It was one thing for him to tell her he once pined for Edelgard, another thing was seeing it in person. Edelgard was so pretty in all of the pictures and Bernadetta felt...She felt ugly in comparison. Ugly, useless, unmarriageable. 

Hubert’s words came to mind.  _ “A lot of my feelings towards her were…shallow. Perhaps immature would be fitting.” _

Despite her memory of what he said to her, the tears still threatened to fall. She sniffled. 

“Bernie!” Edelgard said. “What’s wrong?”

A stray tear fell. “Um, nothing. I just got um…” she sniffed again, “sentimental.” She couldn’t combat her need to cry. The tears began to fall as she hated herself for allowing her jealousy to get the best of her. She took out the handkerchief cloth Hubert gave her from last time and blew into it.

She remembered what he said to her after. _“Those feelings I once had ended long, long ago and are now irrelevant. I still love Edelgard, but my love for her is familiar. She is like family to me and I’d like to believe she feels the same way.”_

“That’s not true, sorry.”

“What is?” Edelgard said. 

“Hubert told me he used to um, have feelings for you.”

There was an awkward moment of silence as the woman finished Edelgard’s nails and moved onto Bernie. She had almost forgotten there was a complete stranger in the room, wordlessly hearing their idle chatter.

“He did. It was just over five years ago when he told me about them. But Hubert’s...well, he’s like a brother to me, as you can see.” With careful precision, Edelgard flipped the book to one of the later pages, where Hubert and Edelgard had embraced, yet their faces showed a very platonic expression. His face was no longer pining for her. “See?”

“Sorry! It’s just that you’re so pretty and successful and…”

Edelgard laughed. “Hubert and I would make a terrible couple.” She paused. “Before we met, Hubert showed me the picture of the two of you. If anything, he has that face again in the photo,” she said.

“He does?” Bernie wanted to grab her phone, but the manicurist was carefully applying the purple polish after the base had dried. 

“I was hoping I could add it to the album, actually.” Edelgard said. “He looks really happy in it.”

“Um...sure! Just um...as soon as our nails dry!”

After their nails dried, Edelgard offered her tea and cakes while they added the new picture to the album and chatted idly. Bernadetta began to feel slowly more comfortable around her. 

“You and Hubert met because you were making his clothes, weren’t you?” Edelgard asked.

“Yep.”

“You make really good clothes for him. Do you think I can commission something from you? We can come to an agreement on pricing.”

“That won’t be a problem. What do you want?”

“I could use a new suit. Or perhaps a new blazer. Yes. A new blazer could do. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I love bright red in particular.” She held her nails up to her. “I’ve been wanting to steal you away from Hubert for a while sometime,” she said, laughing.

Bernadetta nodded. “Well, you’ll need to write down your requests, and um, I’ll need to measure you.”

“That won’t be a problem. I have them written down for future use. I update it on a monthly basis. I can easily send you this month’s measurements.”

They talked about pricing. Bernadetta thought she was just as generous as Hubert with her offerings.

“So you do tailoring. Hubert says you’re quite artistic.”

“Um, I did um...I did major in graphic design, yes,” she said. 

“I myself have an interest in drawing. Perhaps we can try it together!” 

Bernadetta nodded as Edelgard momentarily left and came back with numerous art supplies, from colored pencils to watercolor brushes and various paintbrushes.

“I should warn you, Bernie! I’m not very skilled as you likely are!” Edelgard began to survey around the room.

Bernadetta laughed, grabbing a colored pencil. “That’s okay, Edelgard! Practice makes perfect!”

* * *

Hubert was alight with nerves. And it wasn’t as though he could easily message Bernie or Edelgard. He hoped Bernie wasn’t crying. He always had a pack of handkerchiefs on hand just in case and he wasn’t afraid to use them. 

He couldn’t read or clean. When he checked for any messages from his contacts in the mountains, his inbox was completely empty, not to mention with each thread he was given about Bernie in regards to her past, it had always resulted in dead ends. With nothing better to do, Hubert stared off into space. After ten seconds or so, he felt like an idiot for doing so, his gaze on the piano Edelgard had gifted him. Even though it lacked...well, any sort of human features, Hubert swore the piano was staring at him and beckoning him to play it. He promptly moved away from it and into his room, where he turned on his laptop and scrolled through Flitter.

Lysithea was right. The meme consisting of Edelgard drinking tea’s likes and shares had dwarfed the historical post Hubert made. That being said, when he was scrolling through the shares of the historical post her made, he saw a user by the name of BernieBear1212. It didn’t take much guessing to figure it was Bernie herself. From the name, to the numbers signaling her birthday to the image of a bear that looked identical to the one in her room.

He wanted to follow her account but remembered he was on Edelgard’s public one. But she said he could scroll through it. So scrolled he did. 

The first thing he saw was Bertram.  **He’s ready!!! I hope he likes him! (๑•﹏•)**

There was a progress report of Bertram. He saw him without the eyes, without the wings, and the feet themselves. There was a preliminary sketch of Bertram before all that.  **I’m making this for someone special! ( ◜‿◝ )♡** Him? Someone special? 

He scrolled through the comments.  **Is it for a boyfriend?**

**Umm...maybe!!!**

Hubert grabbed Bertram and held him close in an attempt to hide his grin. It would be embarrassing to admit that he found himself hugging the crow. 

There was art, and plenty of it. From landscapes to plants and even still life. She had openly published art of fictitious characters, including from the movies they’d seen. 

Her art was so very beautiful and so detailed. Hubert wished to be in her room again, surrounded by the portraits he saw in there, instead of being here within these plain white walls. 

He went through his wallet and saw the bubblegum pink business card Lysithea gifted him. 

“You’re lucky, you know that?” she said to him yesterday.

“Of course I know that. Every day I thank whatever being of chance allowed me to be with this girl.”

“That wasn’t what I meant, but that, too! This is my friend’s store. She makes all these cute accessories and helps design engagement rings and stuff like that. All girls  _ love  _ my friend's things!”

“Does this include you, Lysithea?” he asked. 

“Duh! Maybe you should give her something for Edelgard’s party. Or don’t.”

Hubert stared at the italic and bolded font made to look like calligraphy. It was certainly very feminine. The number’s area code came from the Alliance, specifically Derdriu. Bernie was there a month ago, Hubert recalled. 

He dialed the number on impulse. 

It rang, rang, rang, and rang. Hubert was about to hang up when someone picked up on the other line. 

“Hey! Thanks for calling Hilda’s Accessories and Ornaments! This is Hilda herself!” The girl on the line had a really excited, bubbly voice. 

“Good afternoon, I was calling for…” Hubert realized right then and there he was calling on impulse. He had no idea what he was even calling for. “My apologies I don’t actually know. My er...friend suggested I call this locale and I have it on good authority that your accessories are beloved by women all over Fódlan, yes? She claimed to be a friend of yours. I’m calling because I wish to gift my girlfriend something from your store before next Saturday.”

“Oh?” she said. She gasped on the other line. “You wouldn’t happen to be Lysithea’s boss, would you?”

Hubert exhaled, feeling suddenly relieved that she immediately was able to tell. “I am. I am certain she’s said some  _ colorful _ things about me but I would like to give my girlfriend something. Can you help me?”

“Of course! I specialize in all things romance! What’s your name, sweetie!”

“Hubert von Vestra.”

“Hubert?!” Hilda said. “Sorry! It’s a little loud here! You said your name is Hubert, didn’t you?”

“Correct.”

“Well, does your girlfriend wear accessories? Like earrings or a necklace or...And oh! What color do you think she likes? Purple? Gold? Blue? Gray?”

Hubert tried to picture Bernie in all of those colors and he imagined she looked beautiful in all of them. He thought of the dress he saw in her room. “Purple. Perhaps something with gold and purple?”

They discussed different accessories before she agreed to send him emails of what was in stock and settled on a pair of gold earrings with purple tassels for Bernie. He recalled she had pierced ears due to having worn earrings in previous dates. 

He called Hilda again, told her of his selection and gave her his payment information. The order would arrive the day before the party. “How long have you been seeing this girl?” she asked. 

“A few months now. We met at the beginning of the year but I…” Hubert couldn’t bring himself to tell this stranger, this stranger who happened to be Lysithea’s friend that he was falling in love with his girlfriend. 

“You have some pre-tty strong feelings for her, huh?”

“Precisely, yes. She is very...special to me,” he said, echoing the words Bernie used. 

“Best of luck to you, Hubert! I’m sure she’ll adore your gift! And you ever need me, give me a call!”

He hung up, feeling strangely as though he were walking on air. 

Hubert didn’t message either Bernie or Edelgard until the sun went down. Considering it was close to being the longest day of the year, it was pretty late and they were still having their girl’s day. He didn’t want Edelgard to push Bernie any farther than she needed to be. 

**Yes, Hubert. You can come pick her up.** Edelgard said via text and Hubert was on his way. 

When he reached her home and was led to where they were sitting, he found both women sitting at a table with a large stack of white papers between them, full of artwork. It was unexpectedly messy, even for Edelgard. 

"Well, well, well. Look at the two of you, settling in like this." 

“Hubert!” Bernie said, her eyes practically glowing. His heart skipped a beat as he took her in. She seemed happy enough, and Edelgard too, had a smile on her face. It seemed as though the two women he cared for most were getting along just fine. “We drew some stuff. Wanna see? I drew some carnivorous plants too!”

“I quite like her plants,” Edelgard said.

“I told her what I told you, Hubert! That the biggest ones eat rats.”

“One less nuisance for us all,” Edelgard said, laughing. 

Hubert tried his hardest not to smile at the unfolding scene, but a small grin made its way forth. “Show me everything, and don’t leave a single thing out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are pretty bad rn for everyone, mostly, and my next 4 weeks are up in the air since I am in education. I know I'm staying home the rest of the week (although I have to work Thurs and Fri from home). I'm not sure if it'll change my frequency for updates since morale is low everywhere but I'm currently on chapter 26 of this piece in my drafts (with one needing more content). 
> 
> Anyway, please stay safe, no matter where you are around the world!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta and Hubert go to Edelgard's party. Part 1 of 2.

It amazed Hubert that this night was what led to everything. He fastened the cape, surprised it still looked good on him, or as good as anything could ever look on him. It added to the dramatic effect he first envisioned when he commissioned Bernie to make it. The inside of the cape was maroon and was made with a velour fabric, and on the outside, it was black with gold accents decorated near the bottom. He wore three blue belts over a black and gray jacket, one at the waist and two in his right breast that looped around and clipped together. The gold tassels did wonders for his shoulders and now he truly looked the part of a military commander. The finishing touch was the aster flower he pinned to his collar.

It was his need to play a fitting role for this party that brought him to seek Bernie out for this commission. She had proven herself with her talents and she delivered. 

But if it hadn’t been for this cape...or Leonie’s forgetfulness, none of this would have happened. 

Hubert was practically quaking in anticipation for this evening.

He held the box containing Bernie’s earrings. The box had arrived in the mail yesterday and when Hubert opened it, he believed they looked incredibly delicate. They suited her. He was grateful to this Hilda person for being incredibly patient and helpful with him the entire time. 

Hubert liked this outfit even more with the cape on as he walked to the parking garage, his cape flowing freely behind him, he wished it were more acceptable to wear clothing from centuries ago...until the cape got stuck in his car door. 

It took three attempts to free it from the clutches of his car door.

Bernie was still upstairs when he arrived, her lights on, and Leonie was not in sight. 

He knocked on the door. “Bernie, are you in there?”

“Um, yep! But um, gimme a second. Um...You can wait outside! There’s coffee in the kitchen if you want some!”

Hubert waited in the kitchen, pouring himself a small bit of coffee as he waited for Bernie to come downstairs. He straightened when he heard her footsteps going downstairs. He was taken aback by her appearance and how beautiful she looked.

“Sorry I took so long. The um, garter belts below my knee decided they didn’t want to fit so I had to make a few last minute adjustments! It’s my fault for not...” 

He couldn’t concentrate as his gaze fell on the garter belts clipped to her socks. He moved his gaze up, taking in her short dress with long bell sleeves, shorts, and embossed golden gloves. She wore a short cape over her chest. 

“You look beautiful,” he said, interrupting her. “You always look beautiful, Bernie, but tonight…” He hid his blush with the coffee mug. She looked away from him.

“You look pretty good yourself. Like a really um...scary...hmm, no, not that’s it. But um...kind of like a general?” she said. “Um...appropriately intimidating! And you’re wearing the aster today!” She took out three flowers from the pouch she wore on her waist. “I made some more flowers!”

“More?” He wanted to assure her he’d never lose them.

“Um, they’re not for you. Unless you lose them. They’re, um... for me. I was thinking we could start matching.” He thought the idea was inconceivably cute. He couldn’t stop staring at her as she pinned the flower to the top of her dress. All Hubert could think about was how he longed to kiss her. He could do it, right here, right now, but he was more petrified of her reaction to it if he tried and then the party would be over before it even started. “Oh no. You're staring. I’m sorry! Are you mad at me? Bernie's so awful and now we're late and please don't be mad at me!”

Hubert snapped back to reality. “Why would I be mad at you? I quite like your idea. I’d be proud to match with you. If I must be honest, I can’t help but be taken with your...your beauty, actually. My apologies for staring.”

“Oh.” she said. It seemed she couldn’t quite process his words. He had finally mustered the courage to tell her what he was thinking for months and the words didn’t quite seem to be hitting her, even when he called her that not five minutes ago. “You...you think Bernie’s beautiful? Really?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Oh.” 

“We ought to get going. The party must be in full swing.” Hubert would have rather spent time with her, but he was afraid of Edelgard sending him a bombardment of texts asking him where he was. She was already freaking out over a calling card she had gotten from a delinquent threatening to ruin her party by stealing one of her family’s artworks. Nevertheless, there was always security at these events. 

Bernie offered him her arm and he took it as he escorted her to his car. 

Hubert chastised himself midway through the ride for having a rare moment of forgetfulness as he remembered he hadn’t given Bernie her earrings. He noticed she was wearing one of her hairclips, this one consisting of a ribbon with four loops. 

“I spent a few hours researching what outfit to make for this party,” Bernie said, giving out a nervous titter “I worried I wasn’t dressed appropriately but this is what archers wore in those days. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to attach a quiver to my waist!”

Hubert tried to keep his eyes on the road. “I believe that’s accurate. They often wore shawls like yours to protect from the cold. Or perhaps an enemy archer.” Hubert tried to imagine Bernie as an archer in those days, but all he could imagine was her piercing through his heart, landing a critical blow. Hubert wanted to think of other things, literally anything else that didn’t involve how much he was pining for the girl sitting in his passenger seat. “If you’d like, I can always talk about some of the historical events and settings people did in those days.”

“Oh! You said you liked reading, didn’t you?”

Hubert was always at a loss when it came towards the concept of hobbies, but he surmised reading nonfiction and historical texts was a way for him to idly pass the time and have fun. Or at the very least, it was his idea of having fun. “I suppose, yes. That is, if you’ll have me.” Hubert realized the folly of his words. “If you’re willing to listen to what could end up being poorly explained, long-winded explanations of events long gone.”

“Sure!” Bernie said. “I don’t mind!”

Hubert began talking, while Bernie made noises of affirmation and occasionally asked questions. It was a rather fun way to pass the time to Edelgard’s place. Especially when traffic became an issue when they reached the gated entrance. They were too late, as the line was backed up. He heard Bernie gasping. He put the car in park.

“There’s a lot of people, aren't there?”

“Yes, there’s quite a bit,” he said. “There’s a reason why this tends to be my only party of the year,” he said. Bernie squirmed in her seat. Hubert could only offer his hand for reassurance. “If you’d like we can always leave early, but for the sake of making appearances, it’s best to stay for a few hours until one or the both of us tires out.”

“Okay. I’m not really used to crowds.”

“You can just think about it like the time we waited in line to view the titan arum,” he said. “Except Edelgard is not a plant that smells like a rotting corpse,” he said, now moving the car slightly forward.

Bernie laughed. 

He parked the car again. Edelgard’s mansion was now in sight. He knew she would hire valets to park the car, which explained a lot of why there was traffic. Hubert wondered if now was the right time to give her the earrings. 

He waited until he gave his keys to the valet a couple of minutes later. 

“My apologies, but I had forgotten to give you these earlier this evening,” he said to Bernie once the car sped off. He ignored the buzzing coming from his phone. “I bought you something,” he said, holding the box of earrings. 

“Wh-what? Are you...are you?” She was at a loss for words. 

Hubert didn’t understand why Bernie was freaking out until he opened the box containing the earrings. “Oh! They’re ear _rings_! But why?”

“Why not? Hubert asked. He realized asking that was a gateway to Bernie’s default ways of putting herself down. “They match your outfit this evening. Won’t you wear them?” Bernie took an earring and carefully applied it. Then she took the second and repeated her actions. “If I may?” He inched closer to her and with one finger, he tilted her chin up. The two of them breathed in from his touch. “You wear them quite well,” he said, taking his hand away from her. 

“Thanks! Um...They’re really pretty.” Her arm linked around his. “Um...You’re really sweet, Hubert.” Hubert got the sense that Bernie wanted to say something else, but he let the conversation run dry. 

“We ought to get going. Get this entire affair over with.”

The party was in full swing already, with people already dancing and eating and chatting with one another. Hubert felt Bernie hold onto his arm even tighter at the sight of all the people. 

Edelgard’s ballroom had already been customized to look as though from centuries ago through the power of renovations. Each and every single one of her chandeliers was lit up, with crystals hanging from each one in an elegant fashion. Carnations— Edelgard’s favorite flower— were decorated all over the staircases, tables, and walls for this event. 

“Wh-what do we do now?” Bernie asked. 

Hubert scanned the room for anyone he knew. He recognized Ladislava and Randolph Bergliez dancing together so he didn't dare approach them. “Your answer is as good as mine, Bernie.”

He caught people staring at the two of them. Edegard was gracious enough to invite _all_ of her staff to the party. From her interns to even the people who worked in her service, be it at home or through other circumstances. Hubert shot the interns an all-too familiar glare when he caught them staring at Bernie for too long. 

Bernie appeared to take notice. “Wh-why are they all staring at me?” She let out a small yell and to Hubert’s mild surprise, she unlinked her arm away from his and scurried off in a flash. He had forgotten just how quickly she was able to move when terrified.

Now Hubert had lost her and they were barely in the room for ten minutes.

“Bernie?” he took out his phone until he felt something wrapping around and constricting his leg. He peeked from under his cape. Bernie was crouched down into a small ball, hidden away from all eyes. 

“Are they looking away now?”

Hubert saw the interns talking amongst themselves again. “They are now.”

“O-okay! Can I stay here for a minute? It’s a little overwhelming out there!”

Hubert chuckled in half amusement. He too, wished he could hide out somewhere. Bernie hugged his leg a little tighter while he scanned the crowd for Edelgard. He spotted her near the buffet table. She was talking to a few of the prospective new donors. “Comfortable in there?” he asked after a minute had passed. 

“Um...yeah, actually. It’s really cozy here.”

“Hey hardass!” Hubert could hear Lysithea’s grating voice from miles away. She was accompanied by a dark skinned man of short stature. She was wearing a purple dress and a matching veil on her hair. “Where’s your—”

“ _Lysithea?_ ” Bernie said, poking out of his cape. 

“Holy shit, _Bernie_?”

Hubert met Lysithea’s boyfriend’s confused stare. Hubert was certain they had attracted the attention of everyone in the nearby vicinity.

Lysithea was quiet, her eyes and mouth wide open. “Holy fucking goddess _Bernie’s_ your girlfriend? _Bernie_?! What the fuck? What the fuck?” Her string of obscenities would have amused Hubert if he could process what was going on.

Bernie came out of her hiding spot underneath Hubert’s cape.

“You two know each other?” Hubert said in complete shock. He was certain his jaw was open. 

Bernie exchanged a hug with a dumbfounded Lysithea, who was clearly connecting a few dots. “Oh thank goodness there’s some people I know here!” She hugged Cyril as well. There was some clear familiarity between the three of them.

“Heya,” Lysithea’s boyfriend said awkwardly. “Name’s Cyril. I’m Lysi’s boyfriend.”

“Hubert von Vestra. I’m Lysithea’s boss,” he said while shaking Cyril’s hand, watching the two girls as they let go of each other.

“I can’t believe _you_ of all people is dating the Hardass. You! And I was helping him the entire time!” she told her.

“ _Hubert’s_ your mean boss? But he’s so nice!” Bernie said. 

Lysithea scoffed. 

“Hello everyone, Hubert, I was looking for you!” Edelgard said, throwing herself into the conversation. With Edelgard’s presence, he saw that Bernie had begun to relax some more. Somehow she had ended up surrounded by familiar faces. “What’s this? Do the two of you know each other?” 

“I was just asking that question," Hubert said, almost throwing his hands in confusion.

“I went to school with Bernie’s roommate, who teaches us self defense classes and stuff. We hang out together once a week. I didn’t know _Hubert_ was _Bernie’s_ boyfriend of all people!” It appeared she still couldn’t process that. Neither could he.

“What a small world!” Edelgard said. “It’s so good to see all of you here! And this must be Cyril, right?”

Hubert shook his head at Lysithea, who was giving him a _we’re talking about this later_ look. 

What mattered to him right now was that Bernie was currently in a much more relaxed state of being now that she was pulled into a conversation with Edelgard and Lysithea. Perhaps he could now have the courage to ask her to dance. He so hoped she would say yes.

* * *

The party immediately became a lot less overwhelming ever since Lysithea showed up with Cyril. _To think Hubert’s Lysithea’s mean old boss!_ She pictured a much older man with sharp teeth and claws. Not her boyfriend. Though, to be fair, she did think Hubert was scary once upon a time so perhaps she was onto something.

She racked her memory, trying to remember when Lysithea mentioned she was working with Edelgard von Hresvelg, but she figured she was so busy being self-conscious and afraid of messing up her interactions with the girls that she must have missed it somehow.

That being said, Lysithea pulled her aside for a moment and called Hilda via video app. “Hey Lysithea! How’s the party going? Oh hey there Bernie!” She was wearing a pink fuzzy robe, her hair was down.

“Hilda, you’re not going to believe this but—”

“Those earrings Hubert gave you look a-maze-ing!” Hilda said. 

Lysithea smacked her palm against her forehead. “Is this a joke? Did you know that my boss was Bernie’s boyfriend?”

“I-I didn’t know she knew, either!” Bernie said.

“Welllll, Bernie mentioned his name in passing a few times when we did our date preps and when he called my store last week it kinda all just fell together!”

“And you didn’t tell us?”

“I was busy! Besides, you didn’t ask.”

“But you told Marianne, didn’t you?” Lysithea said. 

“Of course I did! Marianne and I don’t share any secrets! Oh!” Hilda moved her phone in another direction. “Marianne, say ‘hi’ to Lysithea and Bernie!”

“Hello! You too look really nice today! I hope you have fun!” Hilda then brought the phone back.

“So um....It’s nice talking to you again!” Bernadetta said. She thought about getting one of those video phone call apps, but she never saw the use in them. Maybe it would be good to have if she and Hubert were ever put in a long distance situation again. 

“Of course! And have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Hilda winked before leaving.

“Was I seriously the last person to know?” Lysithea asked. 

“You said you were helping him?”

Lysithea shrugged. “He’s kind of hopeless and I thought ‘hey if I can get my boss laid then maybe things’ll work out better for everyone!” Bernadetta’s eyes went wide when she said “get my boss laid”. “I never once thought it’d be you!”

Bernadetta didn’t know if Hubert getting help from Lysithea was a good thing or not. It sort of made her question if what he was doing was insincere, or perhaps it was a ruse of some kind. The thoughts about what her parents said, what her mother would tell her about men only wanting to bed women came back to her. It was an extremely overwhelming and inconvenient thought to have when he seemed so sincere to her. Was she misreading him? “Since when were you helping him?”

“I don’t know. I think it was when he was starting to date you. I remember telling him to get you chocolates and lilies and to pay you compliments! He was absolutely clueless, too! He wanted to impress you but didn’t have a single idea as to how! He’s gotten better since—Oh no, you’re going to do that thing you do and start crying, aren’t you?”

Bernadetta thought it was probably stupid to cry over that. She wanted to, though. “M-maybe? I just...was this all fake on his part...or?”

“You’re overthinking it. He really did mean well, if you’re worried about that! He’s an idiot and all, but there was no way he was ever being deceitful or dishonest! I would tell him to get you a stuffed animal and he went with that hedgehog and when I said he should get you a gift based on your interests, he did his own thing there too.” Lysithea laughed. “I only steered him in the right direction.”

“Oh.” The thoughts centering on Hubert being insincere began to fade away. “Um...thanks!”

“I really should have seen it coming. If there was anyone in the world who would have kissed you like that without any prompting all those months ago, it’d be Hardass. Stop your crying now! I want to take a picture!”

Bernadetta laughed as she got rid of the stray tears and Lysithea took a picture.

“Our boyfriends probably are wondering where we are,” she said. “I do feel better knowing a friend’s here, though! It makes everything all the more fun!”

When they returned, they found Edelgard and Hubert conversing with a group of people that of course Bernadetta had never seen before. She linked her arm around him and remained quiet as they discussed a topic she had no idea about. Something about a commercial?

Lysithea had even joined in while she eyed poor Cyril, who was shut out of the conversation. She was tempted to ask Cyril to dance, but it wouldn’t be fair to not have her first dance with Hubert. Perhaps they could go to the buffet table.

A new song played. Hubert held her hand and began to move away. “Excuse me,” Hubert said as Lysithea began to completely take over. 

“Oh no. Did I take you out of the conversation? I’m sorry! Bernie’s useless when it comes towards—”

“They didn’t even notice I left, and I take it I’m not missing much,” he said pointing at the crowd of people he was formerly with. They were still deep in conversation. He bowed at her. “I was instead hoping I could have this dance with you. That is, if you’ll have me. I quite like this song.”

“I...I don’t know how to dance. I’m really clumsy!”

“I’m not very good on my feet, either. Edelgard would say that each year and yet I could never bother with her lessons. Perhaps we can sway and call it an evening on that front.”

“Sounds good to me!” One hand met his, the other around his back and they moved slowly together. It was contrary to the rhythm of the song. “We’re not very in time, Hubert!”

“I am well aware. I wanted an excuse to dance with you and be away from idle chit chat and networking. Neither are my strong suits. And I wasn’t lying about my enjoyment of this piece. It’s called _The Apex of the World_. This is Edelgard’s favorite piece, naturally.”

“Did you um, play it a lot when you were younger?”

“All the time,” he said. 

“Edelgard told me she got you a piano two months ago.”

“She did. Would you like to see it?”

“Yes, actually. I’d love to see it,” she said, her voice low.

“Perhaps after this blows over we can pay my apartment a visit. I’m sure we’ll both be in dire need of solitude by the end of the night.”

Bernadetta found herself thinking that wasn’t a bad idea. “Okay, Hubert. I don’t mind going.” The thought of visiting Hubert’s apartment made her pulse race. 

Hubert held her a little tighter. “I hope Lysithea didn’t say anything too damning of my character during your weekly events,” he said. 

Bernadetta peeked a little bit at the crowd and noticed a few people watching them dance. “Well, Lysithea’s um...said a few things about her boss. That he can be quite mean! Strict, even! It kind of makes sense why people are watching us, even though I’m a little uncomfortable with it.”

“It’s true I have some...severe methods,” he said, cackling. “I believe my subordinates see us as a rather surprising match. Perhaps I ought to put that to the test when I have to introduce you to them.” 

“When Lysithea described her boss to me, I pictured someone with sharp teeth and claws! A tail, even!”

“It’s quite apparent I don’t have sharp teeth and claws. However, the tail is up for debate.”

Bernadetta laughed, some of the tension easing.

Hubert’s gaze fell to a coworker who was very obviously talking about them. He narrowed his eyes, his stare piercing. His slightly tousled hair resembled short horns. It reminded Bernadetta how scary he could be. Maybe it was easy to believe that her surprisingly cuddly and affectionate boyfriend was also a scary, strict disciplinarian in the workplace.

“Eep.” She cowered away, hiding away from his gaze by holding him closer, snuggling her face to his chest.

“I supposed you’d have to see this side of me eventually,” he said. “But, truth be told, I would rather stay like this with you for as long as possible,” he said. Bernadetta agreed, tilting her head to the side against his chest. She could hear his heart beating as she did so. It was racing, much like hers was. 

He moved his hand to the top of her hair and patted it. 

The song ended, but neither left the dance floor for that matter, or for the next few songs. 

Until Edelgard cut in. “Evening, Bernie, Hubert.”

Hubert bowed at her. “Congratulations once again for a successful ceremony,” he said. “Although I could use less dramatics on some art thief.” 

“Art thief?” Bernadetta asked. 

“I’m afraid an art thief of some sort has his sights on one of my family heirlooms.”

“Is his name Pallardó? My roommate’s been seeking him out lately.”

“Is she now?” Edelgard asked. “If worst comes to worst then we’ll need to call in her services. But there’s security everywhere tonight as a result.” She sighed. “That wasn’t why I cut in. I was hoping I could have a dance.”

“Of course,” Hubert said.

Edelgard laughed. “With Bernie, actually. “

“Me?”

“You can’t just rely on your girlfriend as your anchor and escape away for the evening. I’m also certain some of the members of our team are quite eager to know her as well,” Edelgard said. “Perhaps they’d get to know a side of you they never knew existed. I know I sure am seeing it firsthand.”

“Oh, alright,” Hubert said. He gave Bernadetta one last look before leaving.

“I’m afraid I’m kind of a terrible dancer, Edelgard.”

“Then I’ll simply take the lead,” she said. Bernadetta thought she looked quite regal and slightly intimidating in her red dress. But what really made an impression on her was the headpiece she wore in her light brown hair resembling two horns. Her hair was adorned into two side buns. “It’s great to see you here, Bernie.”

Bernie tried to keep up with her. “Hubert seemed apprehensive about coming here. Um, he told me about the story surrounding how we met and he’s not very good with people or public events.”

“It is unfortunate, but part of his job is to occasionally connect with people. I do believe you can facilitate it for him and balance each other out.”

“Me?” Bernadetta figured she was even worse than Hubert at talking to people.

“Yes, you. People have been talking about you for a good portion of the night. Good things, I assure you. The way Hubert looks at you, his interactions are very much unlike him. It seems he’s very visibly taken with you. For lack of a better word, it humanizes him a little bit.”

“Lysithea has stories about him being a big scary boss, so…”

“I’m certain she does! He means well, however. But enough about Hubert! Have you tried some of the pastries and hors d'oeuvres? Perhaps we can have some and chat a little bit about lighter topics. I’m also certain a fresh batch of sweets will arrive before our apparent mutual friend will consume most of them.”

“I’d like some sweets!”

“Oh, and I do hope you’ll stay long enough for cake. We have fifteen flavors from fifteen of Enbarr’s different bakeries to promote the local business!”

As Edelgard foretold, they grabbed a fresh batch of pastries and Edelgard eagerly chatted with Cyril, who Bernadetta noticed was being shut out of the conversation circles. Bernadetta thought it was too long since she’d last seen him and liked him whenever they interacted, but left when she saw Hubert standing alone with a crowd of people, looking flustered. He clearly needed help and Bernadetta wanted to do her best to support him, even though she was way worse with people.

“Um, hi!” Bernadetta said to the people he was talking to. “I’m Bernie! Um, I’m Hubert’s girlfriend. It’s meet to nice you! I mean! It’s nice to see—meet you!” _Good job messing that one up, Bernie._

“Wonderful! We were just talking about some of Enbarr’s tourist attractions.”

“Hubert and I like to um, visit the botanical gardens. Have you been there?”

Hubert spoke, “We recently saw an exotic flower bloom in the gardens. They take...was it seven or ten years to bloom, Bernie?”

“Six to ten, but you’re close!” She looped her arm around his, making sure not to look at their conversation partners for too long before she’d get self conscious and leave.

They made light and pleasant conversation with the people until they left.

“Thank you,” he said. “You didn’t need to step in, Bernie.”

“It’s scary but Edelgard says if we work together, maybe then...maybe it’ll be easier for us. You especially since you’re always helping her. It’s probably draining, but we can do it, right?”

He placed his hand on the small of her back. He had only done this to her a handful of times but to her, the gesture felt so intimate. He then introduced her to his subordinates, all of them watching them with rapt attention as Hubert clearly strived to be as congenial as possible.

After some time, Hubert led her away from the crowd and towards the buffet tables. “Have you tried the caviar? It’s an acquired taste, but I am most curious to see how you’ll find it. And soon there is the charity auction. Perhaps we can make our daring escape during?”

“But what about the cake? I’d like to sample some new flavors with you. I’d like to try some before Lysithea eats them all, anyway.”

Hubert sighed. “Perhaps we could stay a while longer, for cake. And I’d rather not let Lysithea stake her claim to all of the cakes herself. ”

Bernadetta giggled as he took a cracker from a nearby platter and handed one to her. She nibbled on it. It tasted incredibly salty, as though she had just consumed an entire salt shaker. “Hubert, what is this?!”

“Caviar, of course.”

A voice interrupted us. “Good evening, Humble Hubert.” 

Bernadetta stopped cold, almost dropping the remnants of the cracker to the floor as she recognized the owner of the voice. She turned around, and was face-to-face with her mother. Who just so happened to be familiar with her boyfriend, of all people.

“Mrs. Varley, it’s good to see you’ve made your presence here.”

Bernadetta tried to keep herself composed as her mother’s eyes took her in. There was no recognition in them, but she knew better. It was like seeing an apparition. A face she hadn’t seen in two years, materializing in the flesh.

_What do I do? What do I do?!_

“Now, aren’t you going to introduce me to your lovely date?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Lysithea knows her friend is dating her boss (I've also gotten so many comments on her in particular and some funny and um, NSFW prompt ideas from friends detailing the awkwardness of this whole affair, which was inspired by real life events where I work)! :) Speaking of Lysithea and Bernadetta, I got 4 Bernies in Heroes and no Lysitheas because I barely tried for her haha maybe one day.
> 
> I'm aiming to have part 2 up Thursday!!! Stay safe everyone!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While still at Edelgard's party Bernadetta chats with her now-reunited mother and Hubert makes a few observations. Part 2 of 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings for spousal abuse.

“This is my girlfriend, Bernie,” Hubert said to the woman who was Bernadetta’s own mother. Bernadetta remembered to breathe and tried her best to muster a smile. One of the smiles that her mother taught her after endless hours in front of a mirror. And if she didn’t get the smile just right, then otherwise... 

Surely Hubert must have noticed a resemblance. He wasn’t dumb at all. 

And not only had she surfaced to one of her parents, she was reintroduced to them by her own boyfriend of all people! Now her mother knew she was dating and forming relationships with people and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Good evening, Bernie. Is this your first time at this party? I heard Miss Hresvelg throws these every year and a sizable amount of money is thrown into charity.”

Bernadetta felt like a blue screen and although she wasn’t visibly showing any emotions, her mind was wracked with one hundred, no,  _ a thousand _ thoughts all running at the same time. But right now she needed to answer the question her mother was asking. “Um...yup. It’s my first one. How about you, Mrs. Varley?” The sensation of saying that name to someone after so long, so casually, and when not referring to herself, was bizarre. 

“I managed to talk Miss Hresvelg into helping the relief efforts for the mountains near where I live with my husband,” she said. At the mention of “husband” Bernadetta crossed her arms. She chastised herself for tensing up.

“Speaking of,” Hubert began, “where is he?”

“He couldn’t bother to attend one of these events.” Bernadetta exhaled. “And since I am officially one of the heads of this charity foundation, I figured it was quite important to make my presence known. I will be staying in town for about a week or so, bringing awareness to what’s going on in the Oghma Mountains. A staggering amount of people aren’t aware of the problems going on over there.”

“That’s amazing!” Bernadetta actually meant what she said. She wanted to know how exactly did her mother manage to snag the power into doing all of this? Was this connected to her leaving? 

She knew that her leaving, in part, was selfish, due to all of the people suffering over there. All they needed were funds and she was their best opportunity. But it seemed like the man she had to call father had other means he just wasn’t using to solve this problem. 

It wasn’t a secret to anyone who knew her family that her mother was a genius. She was able to do high level math problems without breaking a sweat, put apart and put back together various mechanical items (which was really handy whenever they had a plumbing related problem), and she was able to read through contracts and do appraisals of a wide variety of items without any effort. 

But her father always believed he was the one who was in charge of everything. He was always possessive and exactly what one would call a control freak. Bernadetta was wondering just how her mother ended up here all by herself. 

“I look forward to standing up on that podium and creating awareness of what’s going on. I realize that Adrestia has many, many issues, but perhaps if we can work towards this, things can be better.”

“I agree,” Hubert said. “You made the right choice in putting your faith in Edelgard.”

“It was most nice seeing you again, Mr. Hubert,” Bernadetta’s familiarity with her boyfriend was displacing to her. How did they meet? How was she so casual and so friendly to him? It was a rare side of her that she never got to see. “I will see you again soon, perhaps.”

“Likewise, Mrs. Varley. Please take care.”

“And thank you for introducing me to your girlfriend. She is quite lovely,” she said. Bernadetta couldn’t remember the last time her mother paid her a compliment. Perhaps it was when she was encouraging her to bond with her fiance before she found out his true nature.

Either way, her mother now knew where she was and what she was up to and there was no way Bernadetta could just pack her things. She would need to find a way to talk to her mother. That was, if her mother could find a way to find her first. Bernadetta had to watch her movements and seek her out.

“She’s nice,” she said to Hubert after she left.  _ Is he aware? Does he notice the little things I inherited from her? Why did I tell him I was from the mountains? Is he going to be mad at me for not telling him? I’m so sorry, Hubert! _

“Quite so. She made quite an impression during our meeting.”

“When was that?” Bernadetta wondered if she appeared too interested.

“Last month, when Edelgard and I left the capital for a week.” Bernadetta remembered that week. She spent all of it working on art commissions. And occasionally thinking of Hubert more than she cared to admit to. But now that he said this, it made sense. “I remember that week was harrowing. But that day, I remember in detail. It was right before I met her when I received that message from you. My will and work discipline is indomitable, but it had...taken a few blows, to say the very least, by that point.”

“Did you like that message? I um...I was really missing you.” She recalled just how much she was missing him then and how she was longing for his touch. Now, those feelings had only amplified since.

He got closer to her. Bernadetta wondered if he too, put their PDA policy on hold because of how close he was. The people around them started fading. Bernadetta had almost started to forget that she had encountered her own mother by chance not ten minutes ago. “I did. You are in so many ways, a breath of fresh air, Bernie. I’ve come to find that...irresistible.” He found her hand and lifted it up to his lips. 

Bernadetta felt her body lighting up as though she were a tea kettle at the gesture.  _ Is he aware of how hot that is? Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my—  _

“Was that too forward of me?” he asked, eyes boring straight into her. 

She slowly shook her head and he pressed his lips to the back of her hand again. Bernadetta’s breath quickened. “I...I...I liked that quite a lot.”

“Good,” his voice was low, almost in a purr that made her body go rigid. Whatever Hubert would say next, Bernadetta felt susceptible to it, like she was incapable of saying no to him. “Perhaps now is the time when we should take our le—”

“Good evening, everyone. It’s time for the charity auction,” Edelgard began to say on a microphone. The world came back to her. Hubert gently set Bernadetta’s hand down. “After we address and bring to light some of issues affecting our dear country, from rent control to corruption to wildfires to education and class disparity, there will be birthday cakes catered from—”

The crowd began to shift a little bit towards Edelgard as a projector began to descend from the ceiling. The lights went out and someone was called up to speak about education and literacy. 

Hubert’s hand found hers and she squeezed it. He squeezed back. Lysithea and Cyril had found where they were standing and stood nearby. 

Bernadetta scanned the crowd for her mother, but she seemingly disappeared. 

It wasn’t until the second speaker was up when she spotted her moving. 

Mother always walked with purpose and with elegance. Bernadetta had spent countless hours in an attempt to match that gait. She could do it, but only in private. In settings like these, she was often hunched over and typically scurried. 

“Follow me,” she mouthed. 

Bernadetta made sure not to react. She whispered in Hubert’s ear that she was going to use the bathroom when he nodded and let go of her hand. Her only liability would have been Lysithea, but she didn’t notice her leaving the crowd, her gaze intent on the speaker. The topic was on kidnapping and the recovery of victims.

She followed her mother’s footsteps as she made her way to the hallway, then to an empty room. 

“Bernadetta,” she said, opening her arms. Bernadetta was pleasantly surprised by the gesture, and accepted her invitation for an embrace. It felt so good to hear someone say her full name again. Even though Leonie knew her name, she never called her by it.

“Mother!”

Her mother, who rarely gave and reciprocated physical affection was here, doing just that. “It’s so good to see you again.” They hugged in silence. There was so much she wanted to say to her, but all she could think of was:

“You’re not mad at me?”

“For what?” 

“For leaving you alone with him. I know it was selfish.”

She shook her head, much to Bernadetta’s relief. “It wasn’t selfish. Your father would have made you live the life I’m living now while knowing he had other options. Do not feel guilty for your actions, Bernadetta.” Her lips quirked. “You’re doing far better than what I feared. Do you remember the last words I said to you?” Bernadetta recalled her words.  _ “You're my daughter. You're a survivor.” _

“I tried, I really tried to survive.”

“I can see that. You’re really my daughter, Bernadetta. I’m proud of you.”

“Really?” She had never heard her mother say such a thing. She would keep that in her heart forever. 

“We don’t have enough time and that boyfriend of yours is whip smart. I take it he doesn’t know who you are, does he?” Bernadetta shook her head. For the first time, she wished she could have told Hubert something, anything. “Good. This is important, Bernadetta. Your father is looking for you. He’s been searching high and low for you for the last two years, with no leads. He’s still furious over having lost his quickest chance of being wealthy and forming connections again.”

Her insides froze. That was the last thing she wanted to hear.  _ Figures she’d say that after she says the thing I’ve always wanted to hear.  _ “Oh no.”

“It’s vital no one knows who or where you are. However, I’d expect Hubert von Vestra to piece through that information. He can gather up all of the evidence he wants to, but he’ll have nothing substantial that links you to who you are.”

“If I tell him, it'll be because I want to, Mother.” A part of Bernadetta wanted to tell him. But telling him meant also telling him of her traumas and her fears and her nightmares and her scars and her pain. They were taking their relationship slowly and she didn’t want to subject him to her messy, messy baggage.

“That’s your decision, but if I were you, my best bet would be to prioritize your safety. I doubt he liked your father anyway.”

This was news. “He met him, too?”

“Your father disregarded him and Edelgard. A poor move on his part. Your boyfriend snapped at him at one point.”

Bernadetta didn’t even want to imagine that meeting. A meeting of her tormenter and the man she was rapidly developing feelings for. A man who she was  _ this close  _ to giving into her feelings with.

“I know we don’t have time, but now what?” Bernadetta asked. 

“Our meeting was certainly quite fortuitous. I admit I never once thought of this possibility when I agreed to attend this ball.” Her mother ran her fingers through her hair and pursed her lips. “My plan was to trap your father. It’s no secret he’s made no efforts to help the fire, mostly because he’s the one who got us into this situation to begin with. Edelgard’s agenda seems particularly focused on purging the corrupt.” Bernadetta nearly gasped at the possibility of her father finally being put away, never to be seen again.

“How’s that going?”

“It was going to be a long game, but if I’ve discovered you here by accident then it means he could easily find you as well. This means I’ll need to work faster than expected.”

An idea coursed through Bernadetta’s mind. “Why don’t you run for office? There’s no one I know who’s smarter and more prepared than you, Mother! And you actually care about what’s happening!”

Her mother’s mouth went open. “I...I couldn’t do that. For one, it took ages to get your father to acquiesce to my requests to help. Getting any semblance of power, even the smallest, would cause dire consequences to my plan. This was the easiest way to undermine him.”

Bernadetta thought of the time when her father hit her mother with an extension cord just for defending her. It was yet another way for her father to tell Bernadetta she was worthless. Her father hurt her in other ways Bernadetta didn’t want to fathom. 

“Let me see what I can do. I have a feeling our mutual friend Hubert could be an asset but I need to assess him first. If you so seek to share with him about who you are, I would recommend so after I gain a little more insight on him.”

“I want to see you again, and soon. I’d like to have your phone number. I will not store it in my contacts list. You may store mine.” After she did so, her mother told her to go.

Bernadetta quickly imput her number. “Oh, and Mother?”

“Yes?”

“What ever happened to my um...my fiance?”

“He went to Faerghus, pursuing the next impoverished patrician girl offered to him. I’m certain he’s married now. A fact that undoubtedly infuriates your father for his missed gains. Now go.”

* * *

Bernie was gone for far too long. Was there a long bathroom line?

“Lysithea?”

“Not now, Hardass. I’m taking notes,” she said. She was furiously typing on her phone. He appreciated her work ethic, but there was no way he was going to seek out his girlfriend by himself. Especially if she were headed towards the bathroom. It was a predicament he couldn’t easily get into. But he had Lysithea here, who served as an unexpected advantage to him.

“Bernie’s been gone for quite some time.”

Lysithea looked up from her phone, her eyes narrow. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of  _ those  _ types.”

“What type?”

“Do I have to even say it? One of those clingy types of guys!”

Hubert couldn’t imagine himself as such. If anything he was very much the opposite. “No, but my girlfriend has an anxious disposition and I’d like to make sure she’s doing the best she can in an environment like this. Otherwise I’ll have to instantly take her home. Do you understand now?” Hubert knew that part of the package of being with Bernie was understanding her needs,  _ all _ of them and with her, it was incredibly easy for things to blow up in seconds. He was shocked by how pleasantly this night was going so far, but he couldn’t count his chickens now.

“Fine, fine. I’m doing this because she’s my friend.” Lysithea paused. “And you’re actually kind of a good boyfriend to her. Cyril. Can you scribble here for a second?” She gave him her phone and rushed off.

Once Bernie had poked her head out of his cape, the night seemed to be going fine. She was doing amazing once she was acquainted with familiar people and to his surprise, participated in conversations with his coworkers. They would surely ask him about her in the coming days, or perhaps in the foreseeable future. He was certain now that the perception about him wouldn’t just be Hubert, but rather Hubert and Bernie 

He was officially no longer Hardass, unable to have conversations with people outside of work matters. Now, because he had Bernie, there was something different about him in regards to others’ perception about him. He was now one of them, in a sense, and not in a way that Hubert detested.

Hubert replayed the moment they had a few minutes ago. If Edelgard waited just a minute longer to speak, he would have successfully convinced Bernie to leave this entire affair. Perhaps by now they’d be in his bed, holding each other under the open blinds of his window where they could view the stars together.

He hoped nothing happened to her. 

But there was a nagging thought. One single persistent thought that was catalogued in the back of his mind and now threatening to worm it’s way to the front again.

“I found her while she was on her way back. Happy?” Lysithea said, interrupting his thoughts. 

“Very,” he said. 

She took her phone from Cyril and began taking her notes, but not before she pressed a quick kiss to his forehead.

“Sorry for taking so long! I didn’t think so many people would be in line!”

“I see. My apologies for sending out Lysithea. I was admittedly concerned about you.” He placed a discreet arm around her. “Forgive me for any possible intrusion,” he said. 

“It’s fine,” she said. Hubert noticed there was a twinge of exhaustion to her voice.

“Are you tired? Do you want to go home?” It no longer mattered if they went home separately. They could always reschedule and meet up later. What mattered was that she was alright. 

“Not yet.” He sensed she was close to her limit.

“Let me know.”

More speakers went on and Bernie at one point leaned into him. 

Mrs. Varley was one of the last people on stage. “Good evening, everyone.” Hubert wrapped an arm around Bernie as Mrs. Varley did her introductions. “Tonight I’m here to raise awareness about the fires that have been plaguing the Oghma Mountains. Once abundant with resources, it’s almost impossible to navigate to and now that summer has arrived, it’ll only worsen. Of course this would mean that precious materials made from iron, steel, or even silver will be costly, which will affect most of the people in this audience as consumers. But to me, a person who has spent the majority of her life in the mountains, cost is what matters least. What matters are the lives of the people who make their living up here. People who are fellow Adrestians like most of us…”

The prickling thought came back to him as he spoke. When he met Mrs. Varley, he noted her hair color and drew other similarities to Bernie (he strongly believed Bernie had never dyed her hair before). But he also figured that perhaps up in the mountains, it was likely a mere coincidence for people to have an abundance of a certain hair color. Or that he was so desperate to see Bernie again that he was seeing her in strangers. 

Hubert’s best subject in school was Chemistry, but he was no slouch in any of the other sciences. He knew pretty well that purple was a recessive hair color and uncommon in Fódlan as a whole, unlike the varying shades of red, brown, blond, and blue. Perhaps in the mountains, then purple could have been more dominant as a gene.

But when they stood side by side, Hubert couldn’t help but  _ really see _ the resemblance between the two of them. From the way they stood perfectly at the same height, to the curve of her jaw and the slope of her nose. The similarities were too much to ignore. Mrs. Varley seemed to not know or recognize Bernie and Bernie...he couldn’t tell what was going on with her. Her biggest tell was her wide eyes and the way her body would shake and she experienced nothing of the sort. It was as though she had become blank, which he could have easily attributed as simply exhaustion from such a large gathering.

Yet he recalled the way Mr. Varley’s eyes were identical to Bernie’s. Even though he wondered if he was emotionally clouded by his missing of Bernie, he was seeing her in someone as repulsive as him. 

It all made him think about how Bernie was so guarded about herself and her past. It only served to remind him that even though they were now closer than they had ever been, he still wasn’t intimately part of her world. She still didn’t trust him the way he wanted to. Despite his impatience, to him, it made complete sense. Hubert wasn’t the trusting type either.

He yet again catalogued his thoughts for later.

Mrs. Varley finished her speech and accompanying slideshow and everyone cheered. None cheered harder than Bernie. 

“You’re certainly invested in this topic,” he said. 

“Well, yeah. The fires are kinda why I left.”

“Oh?” he hated himself for wanting any morsels of information. 

“It was unsafe for me to be there. Or at least I felt that way. So um, instead of being a recluse in danger, I figured it was better to be a recluse in slightly less danger.”

Hubert tightened his grip around her. 

It was only a little bit longer until the cake had finally been served. Bernie gathered two plates and sought out as many as she could, stacking them on top of each other. Hubert had helped her gather the cakes she was interested in so they could leave as quickly as possible. She wasn’t exaggerating when she said Lysithea would consume all of them in a frenzy. 

Hubert now knew that Lysithea’s true weakness was cakes, so that would stay on the forefront of his mind for a time. 

“I think we can leave now,” Bernie said, while holding one plate. Hubert held the other for her as they made their way to the valet. 

He saw Bernie had crumpled into the passenger seat. It was after midnight. They had been at the party for just over five hours. Hubert was certain this was the most amount of people she had spoken to in quite some time.

“I suppose you’d want to go home now,” he said when he began driving. The radio was turned off. 

“Yeah. Sorry about that. I’m really tired, Hubert.”

“You don’t need to apologize or tell me twice. I myself am tired, as well.” 

They were silent, until she spoke up again. “Maybe tomorrow afternoon. Actually, this afternoon,” she paused to laugh, “maybe we can meet up again and spend time in solitude. An indoors day, just for us.” Hubert wanted nothing more.

“I’d like to make you lunch, Bernie. Will you allow me to do so?”

He saw her nodding from the corner of his eyes. “I’d like that.”

When he was in her driveway, both remained still. Bernie could have left by now, but it seemed as though something was plaguing her mind. Or perhaps she was too dazed. He gently nudged her. “Bernie? 

She came back to life. “Hubert?” she asked in an unexpectedly firm voice.

“What is it?”

“Um...can you do me a favor? Well, it isn’t a favor. It’s more of a request, you see…”

“Anything.”

“When we’re alone, like this, can you call me by my full name? Can you call me Bernadetta instead?”

_ Bernadetta. Beautiful Bernadetta. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.  _

“If that’s what you want, Bernadetta,” he said, tasting the name on his tongue. It sounded sweet, yet had an unexpected regality to it. It fit her well. 

“Thanks. Um...night, Hubert!” She moved in his direction, where her lips met his cheek in a small peck. Before he could process what just happened, Bernie, no,  _ Bernadetta _ left the car, taking the cakes with her. He still felt the feeling of her lips on his cheek, a gesture that gave him an increasingly familiar bout of warmth throughout his body.

As Hubert drove home, he said her name out loud to himself the entire way home. 

“Bernadetta….Bernadetta…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe the party is 8k words. I spent most of my February break writing/perfecting it, but I wanted to get it juuuust right.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta visits Hubert's place for the first time. A Bernadetta centric chapter.

Bernadetta woke up late the next morning. It was blistering hot in her room, she had forgotten to turn on the AC unit and she was certain Leonie had never come back home, otherwise she would have done the same. She still felt exhausted from last night. 

So many things had happened. She told Hubert to call her by her name. She found out that Lysithea was not only Hubert’s subordinate, but also someone who aided and advised him for their dates, but the biggest was seeing her mother for the first time in two years. 

Last night felt like a fever dream. 

She checked her phone. There were several messages. The first was Leonie telling her she was staying over at a friend’s. There was no way it was Lysithea, who stayed at the party after she left. Hilda made no indication that she had Leonie over last night, and Marianne lived with her. 

She replied by informing her that she would spend the afternoon with Hubert.

The second was from Hubert, who had messaged her an hour before she woke up, asking her if she was still up for an indoors day together. Her heart sped up as she texted him a yes. She was ready for this. 

**Perhaps instead of lunch we could indulge in brunch, followed by lunch later.**

**That sounds exciting! ヾ(･ω･*)ﾉ**

The third was from her mother. She couldn’t tell if the text was deliberately vague or if her mother was just being...her usual no-nonsense self. Probably both.  **Good morning. I take it you left early with the person you came with. I would like to see you again, but perhaps you’d prefer to rest. I will be in the capital all week.**

Bernadetta responded with a tepid,  **Alright. Let’s schedule a time for later. Please let me know.**

Hubert messaged her asking if he could drop in an hour to pick her up and that today’s flower would be the peony. Bernadetta got out of bed and got ready. She was tempted to just throw on whatever outfit she had on, but a part of her mind nagged at her, telling her shouldn’t.

She ended up wearing a gray shirt with a black cat peeking through the side and high-waisted denim shorts. It was hot outside, anyway. 

Bernadetta thought about the kiss on the cheek she had given him last night. It was a moment of boldness that was preceded by another bold move. After yesterday, Bernadetta felt braver than ever before. She was able to tackle the big scary crowd and manage conversations. Maybe today she would be ready to kiss him. Properly this time. Bernadetta wasn’t scared or even ashamed of her feelings for Hubert anymore. She liked him and he made it obvious he liked her back. Yet her insecurities bit at her. 

_ Once you kiss him, he’s going to know you’re inexperienced and who knows what’s going to happen after. He might find you too childish and will dump you. Or maybe he’ll take advantage! Watch out.  _

Bernadetta shook her head as she made sure to fix her hair, putting on a black and pink hair clip to match the peony she wore. “No. Hubert wouldn’t do that. If he wanted to take advantage of me…” she said to the mirror. She knew he wouldn’t do that. He gave her space and respected her. 

After that, Bernadetta paced around her living area.

Hubert arrived within the hour.

“Good afternoon, Bernadetta,” he said, her name sounding so natural on his lips. It nearly made her shudder.

“Hey Hubert.” She surprised herself yet again by moving close to him and kissing his cheek. He was dressed as casually as she ever saw him, wearing a white button down shirt and black trousers. It was rare to see him not wear all black, yet the matching peony he wore looked great on him. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept as well as I could. I took the liberty of buying food that would be appropriate for a brunch.”

“Ooo! Can I see?”

“They’re in the backseat.”

Bernadetta turned around and saw the bags tucked in behind his seat and peeked into them. There were bacon strips, hash browns, orange juice, cheese, and various vegetables. “These look really good! I’m really excited about this!”

“I am as well. I’d like to try my hand at cooking for you. Meat and fish are my areas of expertise. Though, I have still not mastered seasoning.”

“I can help you there if you need it!”

“It would be very much appreciated."

She enjoyed the silence after their conversation died out. His hand found hers as he drove. She found the route to his home familiar. They had taken most of this route before, to go to Edelgard’s, but he ended up going straight down the road instead of turning where he usually did. 

There were a series of high rise buildings as Hubert drove a little farther. It was close to downtown and where Edelgard lived. She assumed he would place someplace strategic to live if it were close to both Edelgard and his workplace. 

She felt her stomach bubbling inside as he passed a security gate. The guard had nodded to them as he opened the gate. He parked the car in an underground garage and they walked together. She held a bag of groceries and he held the rest. 

“So um, this is a really tall building, huh?” she asked as they walked side by side. 

“Indeed, but I reside in one of the lower floors. The fourth one, to be specific.”

“Is it still scary?” she asked. 

“Not particularly. Lower heights aren’t as cumbersome for me. I won’t need your protection, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Bernadetta giggled, remembering what she said that sleepy first night they were away from each other when he went on his business trip. “But if you would still like to protect me, I wouldn’t say no.” They walked into the elevator, where he pressed the number four and they waited. 

His apartment was located near the end of the hallway. “Make sure you leave your shoes at the front.”

When he opened the door, he let her in first and she was met with the blast of his air conditioning. “You can place the bag over at the countertops.” Bernadetta did as he said, placing the bag in his kitchen. 

She couldn’t help but compare their living spaces. Her house had rustic decor with floorboards and wooden walls, but was spacious yet often too messy. His, while it lacked in the sheer space she lived in, was very modern and very clean, with concrete and barren white walls, and marble flooring to the point where Bernadetta thought it looked clinical. The only thing both had in common were their open floor plans. His bedroom was half hidden by the door, but she could see a neatly made white queen sized bed with black covers.

It looked like a place that was barely lived in. All of his furnishing was modern, yet plain, with a television that was roughly the same size as hers placed over a glass table. 

The only thing that showed any sign of life and decor was the white piano that was carefully placed near the dining room table. “You can make yourself comfortable while I prepare our meal. If you’d like, I can serve you coffee or orange juice. Or perhaps water?"

“I’ll have a glass of juice, please.”

Bernadetta sat on the black leather couch. It looked as though Hubert rarely used it, as though it were in mint condition. She remembered Edelgard said he used to never spend time here. She wondered where he resided the most. Probably his bedroom. She tried not to think of that too hard as he arrived to give her a glass of orange juice. He was wearing a white apron, presumably so that grease wouldn’t stain his clothes. Bernadetta thought he looked cute in it.

“Thanks!” 

She debated on playing the piano, but thought perhaps it was too distracting. She settled on turning on his TV and turning on a show about animals. It seems they were talking about cat breeds. The cold glass from her orange juice plus the feeling of it as she drank made her shiver, along with his AC unit on blast. If she had known that he lived in such cold conditions, she wouldn’t have worn her summer clothes. 

“You’re shivering. Are you cold?” Hubert said while cracking eggs.

She nodded.

“There’s blankets in the closet over there,” he said, pointing to a closet near the bedroom door. She barged in and grabbed a large brown fleece blanket. She wrapped it around herself as she watched the TV show. 

Hubert sat next to her a few minutes later. “Comfortable?”

She lifted the blanket and enveloped the two of them in it. She got close to him, resting her head against his chest. “Now I am.” He surprised her by kissing the top of her head. With her heart beating rapidly, she snuggled closer to him. “Look at these kitties. Aren’t they cute?”

“Quite.”

A narrator spoke. “The Gautieron is known for their mostly black fur and for being family friendly thanks to their hypoallergenic status. Look at the mama cat feeding her young for the first time. It seems she has pure black fur, and her mate has almost similar fur as well, with a white patch, yet her kittens are all born with snow white fur. Fur color they seem to share in common with the handsome house cat next door.”

“It seems as though the neighboring cat has some explaining to do,” Hubert said. 

A noise of something sizzling prompted Hubert to move. “My apologies, but I have to go back. Save a spot for me.”

“You might have to make a reservation,” she said, giggling, letting him move away. 

Hubert moved back and forth between the kitchen and the couch. Bernadetta still thought of the kiss he gave the top of her head. It made her heart continuously race. She could barely concentrate as the show continued its spotlight on the Gautieron cat.

“Might you help me with the seasoning? It’s nearly done.”

The food looked mouthwatering to her. She eyed some of the cheese and vegetables placed in a cooker. “What about that?”

“That will be for later,” he said. “I occasionally use a slow cooker for my meals. I remember you once said you enjoyed the cheesy Verona stew.”

“I did! Do you want me to help you set up the table?”

“That would be splendid. Thank you, Bernadetta.”

They ate in near silence. His food was cooked to near perfection, although his meal had its differences. Hubert used a bottle of hot sauce for his hash browns and eggs (which he also made runny, while she preferred hers scrambled) and his toast was almost entirely blackened. 

“You’re a good cook, Hubert!” she said when she was almost done.

“I know enough to survive.” Hubert was pensive. “I also learned for Edelgard. Her cooking skills are quite lacking. Your assistance was crucial.” Hubert began to pick up the plates. “I’ll clean up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Bernadetta walked towards the piano and went through the motions of setting it up. She hadn’t done this in years, but she went through the motions as they came naturally to her. 

She played a few notes. She saw Hubert had gone rigid straight when she played that first note. She went through the songs she knew by memory. She wasn’t very good with memorizing pieces but began to absently play a few notes of a song she liked. Bernadetta moved carefully, trying her best not to mess up the notes. She always had a preference for playing slower songs. Songs where she could savor every beat, every emotion.

She got so engrossed with her playing, she barely noticed Hubert was hovering behind her. She stopped playing. “May I?” She slid a little to make room for him on the bench. “It’s been...a long time, so my skills might be deficient. I have a predilection for faster paced pieces so forgive my subpar skills with slower ones.”

With his fingers hovering over the keyboard Hubert took in a large breath and played his first notes. Then he continued. Bernadetta watched him with rapt attention as he continued playing her song. He looked so elegant, his eyes fixed on the keyboard as he played each note to perfection, timing each one appropriately. But what surprised her most was the way she could feel the emotion coming from each note. It was mesmerizing. 

He stopped, watching her. “You play,” he said, his voice so soft Bernadetta could barely hear him. 

“O-okay.” She continued the song, playing a few notes. He would play after, then she. It felt like a duet between the two. The piece wasn’t a duet—not that she could recall, anyway— but it felt like it was theirs now. She had never felt so connected to someone else before. Not like this.

Her heart beat rapidly as he finished the final notes, her fingers were shaking. 

“Wow,” she said, her gaze slowly turning to his. Their eyes met. “That was beautiful.” She swallowed dry air. “You...you’re beautiful, Hubert.” Her vision turned hazy after the words tumbled out of her.

“I am?” he said, incredulous. "No one’s ever said that to me before.”

“It’s true. You hide it so well, but I’m glad I got to see it. That I got to know you...and…” Bernadetta lifted her hand as it found his jaw and traced along the edges. She moved up, tracing his lips with her thumb. He shivered. The motion almost made her back away yet he kept returning her gaze. Bernadetta noticed details in his eyes she’d never noticed before.  _ Were there always gold flecks in his eyes? They’re pretty... _

“Bernadetta…” he said, his tone almost pained.

Her heart almost burst at the mention of her name. She leaned into him, her lips meeting his. She closed her eyes as he leaned into the kiss. He was a lot softer than she remembered. Her hand fell to his neck as he angled his face a little more in her direction, deepening it. 

He broke the kiss, his breathing heavy. 

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her again and again as his hands went lower and lower towards her legs. He lifted her off the bench. Bernadetta knew this was the second time he was carrying her, but this time she was a fully conscious and willing participant as she pressed more kisses along his jawline and neck.

They were in his bedroom now, where he lay her down and began anew as he hovered above her, stroking her hair once more, his eyes watching her with a tender gaze.  _ Eyes. I want to see both.  _ She carefully tucked his locks of hair behind his ears.  _ Wow. He’s handsome. _

His lips found hers over and over again and she in turn held him close. 

It was all an exploration for her. Their relationship was leading up to this moment and the tension had been simmering for far too long between them. Now, they had bubbled over to the surface. It felt natural to her. And the way his body fit above hers felt only natural to her as well. They reached a new threshold, now. She wanted to learn more about him. Every angle, every curve, and have them memorized.

His hand lowered to her breast, where he circled around her. She gasped, uncertain if it was due to her being terrified he was taking it too far or because she was just as scared of the fact that she loved the sensation of his hand on her body. “H-Hubert?!”

He broke away. “Yes?” he said, his voice low and surprisingly tender. He noticed where his hand was and quickly moved it away from there. “Oh, my apologies. Was that too forward of me?”

She tried to come out of this heady feeling so that she could answer his question. “Um...yes? Kinda? I mean, yes. Yes.” Bernadetta never felt this hazy before in her life. She hoped she was making sense to him.

He moved away from his position above her, placing himself beside her. His face was red. Bernadetta wasn’t sure if it was because of their kisses or because he felt embarrassed. “Thank you for informing me. It won’t happen again," he said sheepishly.

Bernadetta ran her fingers through his hair. “I kind of want it to happen again, but maybe another time. Not today,” she said. She gave him a quick kiss, her body reacting when he kissed her back again, no matter how short or long the kiss was. His responsiveness made her body respond in turn with warmth. She had nearly forgotten his apartment was ice cold.

“We can continue to take this at your own pace, then.”

“Y-you don’t mind?”

Hubert shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him again and again, yet felt the need to continue this conversation and stopped. “Um…”

“Something on your mind, Bernadetta?” His fingers traced the curve of her shoulders. 

“I should tell you something. It’s kind of important. Please don’t judge me! Promise!”

“I would never judge you.”

“Promise me.”

He quieted and nodded, his hand running through a strand of her hair. “I promise.”

“I um...I don’t have much experience. This is kind of the most I’ve done...with anyone. And um...that means I’m a...a virgin,” she finished, her voice in a whisper. She hoped he didn’t hear it, but she could see it in his eyes that he did. 

“Is that all?” He seemed unfazed by this revelation. 

“Um...yep. The end.”

He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I don’t see a problem with that. But I can most certainly understand why you’d prefer to take things at a certain pace.”

“Are you...are you saying you’re okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I've heard that guys either seem to really like it because I'm well,  _ that _ , or hate it because it means I’m too childish. And I’m um...It’s not like I’m saving myself for marriage or anything!” She still felt the residual embarrassment over her conversation with the girls teeming over.

“I wasn’t. I still respect your decision. Ultimately it is your choice. Whether you’d want it to be with me, or you chose someone else if for some reason we decided we weren’t compatible. Ideally, I’d prefer it to be me.” 

“I want it to be you,” she said, once again the words falling out of her mouth.  _ I didn’t plan that! Ahhh! _ “Just...when I’m ready, okay?”

“I’m flattered you would choose me. And of course.” He pressed his lips to her temple. 

Their make-out session fizzled a little bit after that, with the two of them laying in his bed. Hubert had momentarily left to retrieve the fleece blanket from the couch and draped it over the two of them. Bernadetta shifted so that she was at eye level with him. She wasn’t used to being at eye level with him, but the feeling of closeness between the two of them gave her a sense of satisfaction.

She felt sleepy, as though their earlier actions had caused a reaction making her tired. “Hubert?” she said. 

“What is it, dearest?”

The pet name made her go red. So did he, in turn.

“Do you not want to be called that? I can always call you butterwort.” She knew he couldn’t bear to say those things aloud, but loved the names being for her ears only. His tone also indicated he was joking. But she actually loved the name already.

She squealed in her delight. “They’re all really cute! Please call me that.” She ran a finger through his hair. “I love them, but that means I need to figure one out for you. I could always call you Hubie,” she said. 

“My mother used to call me that.”

“Oh. Is that bad?”

“I don’t know. But we’ve detracted. What were you going to ask me, Bernadetta?”

“You said you hadn’t played the piano in a while. And I remember you said a long time ago your dad insisted you stop. Why? You’re amazing at it.” 

Hubert opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked pensive.

“I’m sorry, was I asking too much?”

He shook his head. “My mother died when I was seventeen. My father...There’s not a lot of good things I can say about my father and the less I say the better, but it wasn’t until the day she died did it dawn on me that he did love my mother, fiercely and with his own sense of devotion. I just never got to see it for myself.

“She was the reason I started playing as a child. She knew I liked playing and I liked it when she would sit and listen. My mother had artistic inclinations, you can say. She was the person I was closest to.”

Bernadetta hugged him. He readily returned her embrace. 

“She would have liked you,” he said. “Whenever things got too much or whenever I wanted to let out any grievances, I would play on the piano she gifted me on my fourteenth birthday. After she passed away, my father didn’t take well to my playing of it, saying it was too much of a distraction.”

“What did he do?” Bernadetta asked. 

“He destroyed it. He got a crowbar and hit it with as much force as he could. Took the entire piano apart piece by piece. I was not allowed to focus on anything other than my duty that us Vestras have been doing for generations.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, squeezing him tighter. “My father did something similar. He sold ours to pay for damages.”

“Is it related to the fires?”

“Yeah, it was when they started, after the first big one. Pianos are extremely expensive, too, and ours was old enough to be considered vintage by collectors. I missed it so much after it left.” Bernadetta realized how obvious she was being. Now he’d quickly piece together she was Bernadetta von Varley if he hadn’t already.

She just hoped he wouldn’t be mad at her for not telling him. 

Hubert yawned. Bernadetta had never seen him do that before. “Odd. I never yawn.”

“Have you had coffee today?”

“Once, when I woke up. Then I got so caught up with our inside day that I must’ve forgotten.”

“Do you want to go get some?” she asked. 

“Leave it. I’d rather stay in bed with you.” Bernadetta never once thought he’d reject an offer of coffee. He snuggled closer to her and closed his eyes. “I might nap for a while. Why don’t you join me?” He grabbed Bertram, who was on the other end of the bed. Bernadetta had barely noticed her creation as she was too engrossed with her boyfriend, as he placed him between the two of them.

“Sure! I’d love to!” She spent the rest of the afternoon drifting off. Bernadetta never felt this safe and at peace before, and all at once, but being here and being with Hubert, who was so full of affection and capable of such warmth. 

It made her happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!!!!
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts below. I'm sure you probably have them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta have meetings.

The moment Bernadetta said she found Hubert beautiful, he knew he was a man in love. After he had returned her home (it had taken several kisses to pry her apart while in his car. Both of them hadn’t wanted to separate from each other at certain points), Hubert turned to the list he was writing. He already had almost twenty in his list of reasons he loved her. Now he had over thirty reasons why he was in love with her and he had a feeling the list would only expand the more time he spent with her.

He thought about his afternoon in bed with Bernadetta and how intimate it felt.

The topic of intimacy was such a gray area for Hubert. He had experienced very little of it, despite being alive for thirty years, but his evolving relationship with Bernadetta had shown new grounds for him. He had never been this intimate with someone, even at a physical level.

He had been with others, which he aptly cataloged into the dry and tepid term of “sexual intercourse” or perhaps “encounters” would have sufficed, but there was very little affection exchanged. It was always very mechanical and he would often leave soon after everything was done and never see them again. It was always unsatisfying to him.

He had experienced more intimacy in a single afternoon than the few encounters he had. 

Hubert had no idea how he’d try to remain his usual strict self at work when all he could think about was Bernadetta sleeping beside him, her anxious face looking calm and serene. Hubert couldn’t help but think she was the beautiful one. 

He had arrived early and began writing up some paperwork. Today he wore the aster flower to work. He had never worn one of Bernadetta’s flowers to work itself but now that everyone knew he had a girlfriend he figured why not?

That, and he loved wearing her creations. It gave him the motivation to get through the day before he could talk to her or see her again.

Edelgard had messaged him. **Hubert. Something came up and I might not be able to make it to work at all today. I need you to oversee the staff and any appointments I have today.**

The cloud Hubert was floating on had abruptly popped. Perhaps he would need to visit Bernadetta today. He messaged Edelgard, **Very well.** **I shall do whatever is needed.**

Then he turned his attention to Bernadetta. **I’m afraid I will be very busy today running the office. Edelgard is out. Might I pay you a visit after work?**

Her response was instant. **Of course! I’ll make you some maple ginger coffee cakes, too! Be good, okay? Don’t be too mean out there. (・_・;)**

Hubert knew better than to be mean. But he had to maintain order among the staff, especially since half of the documents he was overseeing were riddled with errors and loopholes. But he tried his best not to be too mean. 

There was only so much he could do, but he had an appointment with Mrs. Varley in the early afternoon, an hour after lunch. He put Randolph and Ladislava in charge of the office in his absence.

Hubert still had some thoughts about Mrs. Varley and they were still growing. Bernadetta’s story about her piano being sold off, despite their mutual sleepiness, made him extrapolate the current theory he had proposed, that she was the daughter, or perhaps a niece or at the very least, related to this woman in some way. Pianos were expensive to come by, and if it was vintage, as she said, then it could have meant her family had it for decades. Or they could be collectors of vintage pieces.

Hubert opened an incognito search engine and typed **Bernadetta von Varley** just to see the results.

There was nothing. Not even a wisp of information.

Then perhaps she was a fictitious character he made up. Or maybe she was so isolated that this was what was expected. Hubert was now at a loss thanks to his tactician’s brain playing devil’s advocate.

He knew she was hiding something, and it was about her past. It was something that was obvious to him for a while sometime, since before their disastrous first kiss. He was falling deeper in love with her by the day, but he so wished she could share all her burdens with him. 

Mrs. Varley arrived at Edelgard’s office at precisely the right time. She looked as elegant as always. _She looks like the sort of woman who would name her child Bernadetta._

“Good afternoon, Humble Hubert. How was the rest of your weekend?” she said. 

He bowed to her. “I spent it with my girlfriend,” he said, fishing for a reaction. Any reaction. Something that made her react in a familiar sort of way. “I made her brunch and we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other’s company.”

He did not get the satisfaction of a reaction. “How wonderful. To be young and in love.” Her flippancy bothered him and he wondered if she was aware how much it bothered him. She likely was.

“Indeed. Now what was it you wanted to talk about with Edelgard? I'm afraid outside circumstances have prevented her from working today. You would have to contend with me instead.”

“You’re good company,” she said. 

“I’m flattered. If I must keep your ideal of being ‘good company’ would you care for some coffee?” he asked her. 

“I was correct, then. You’re good company to keep! Yes. Some cream and don’t skimp out on sugar. About four spoons will do.” Hubert couldn’t help but think about Bernadetta yet again, who took her coffee in a similar manner.

“Now, shall we talk about some preliminary funding? I have some data listing Edelgard’s potential opponent as careless and corrupt. She won’t be able to do much because her stance shows she benefits from the fires and the like. She’s made dealings with my jurisdiction.”

“It would be a shame for her to have this in the wrong hands,” Hubert said. He took the documents. “Oh no. I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” Hubert skimmed the documents. This was an easy outlet to use to carve their path for victory. Hubert tried to imagine what that night would look like, but his thoughts quickly landed on his girlfriend falling into bed with him as they celebrated their victory. He turned his thoughts elsewhere.

He chuckled. “You seem to have an interest in politics, Mrs. Varley. Perhaps a career in politics could do you some good? Become the equivalent to what Edelgard’s doing? You certainly have the mind for it.”

She returned his laugh. “You're not the first person to tell me this. However, my interest is stamping out the corruption throughout our country.”

“Ours as well.”

“That document will tell you everything you need to know. You might see some names you’ll recognize, even. I’m sure once you read through it, you’ll seek me out again. If there’s anyone who will put this information to good use, it’s you.”

They talked some more about finances and other going-ons before she took her leave.

Hubert counted down the minutes until it was time to clock out. 

He had never been among the first group of people to clock out, but beat Lysithea to it, even.

Bernadetta was in the kitchen when he entered her home. She turned around, her eyes looking at him so adoringly before he bent over and kissed her. His kiss was harder than all of the ones they shared yesterday, yet she reciprocated with such enthusiasm that it left him breathless. 

“I missed you, Hubert,” she said. 

“I missed you as well, butterwort.” She blushed at the pet name. Even though he meant it as a joke, she had taken well to it. And it wasn’t like other people were going to hear it.

She hugged him. “Our cakes are ready. And I made us some meat and vegetable stir-fry. I made sure to buy some hot sauce for you. I got the same bottle I saw you with yesterday.”

With that, Hubert swore he fell in love with her a little more. “Shall we eat?”

After they ate, she led him upstairs, where they allowed themselves to be rid of all of their concerns, their insecurities, and self-doubts. They were in her bed, where she lay on top of him, kissing him all over his face with a tentative gaze. Her lips were unpredictable. She kissed his nose, then his jaw, his forehead, cheeks, lips again.

She was slow and languid and the way she hovered over him was overwhelming. It didn't help that she now had straddled his lap. Even with all of her clothes on, his wanting of hers was becoming uncontrollable. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her next to him in this cramped bed.

She began to panic. “Oh no. You didn’t like that, did you? Bernie’s so inexperienced! I'm so sorry, Hubert! Ahhh!” Hubert thought she couldn’t be any more wrong. In spite of her inexperience (which he really couldn’t understand why she was making a big deal out of), he thought she was magnificent to behold.

He shook his head. “I liked that too much, Bernie,” he said, his hand on her cheek. “I don’t wish to rush us.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her other cheek.

“Oh.”

He thought about her confession that she had never been with anyone before, and that she wanted him to be her first. His sole focus was giving her the best, most romantic and meaningful first time. This would mean everything they did in their escalation had to be meaningful as well. 

He saw what looked like the makings of a red blazer hung on a rack. “Is that what you’ve been working on?”

“It’s for Edelgard. I haven’t started on the pockets yet. She wants a secret one.”

“If it’s a secret, then why tell me?”

“Because you know all of them, don’t you?”

Hubert paused. “Fair enough.”

She got closer to him, placing an arm around him. Neither said anything as he observed the landscape portraits in her room. He pressed his lips to her temple and stayed there. He wanted to ask her about the landscapes and his observations regarding them, but before he could, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Bernadetta giggled as the phone was pressed against her thigh.

“Get it!” her laugh was uncontrollable.

“Ticklish, are we?” he said vowing to keep that in mind for the future, taking the phone out and checking it. It was Edelgard. “Good evening, Edelgard.”

“Good evening, Hubert.” Bernadetta was still recovering from her giggle fit. “I hear laughter. Are you with Bernie?”

Hubert bit his lip. There was no good way to tell Edelgard his girlfriend was ticklish. “Er, yes. I can inform you of everything that occured at work right this minute if you so wish.”

Edelgard sighed. “That’s fine. You usually recap events on days I’m not present, anyway. Overtly so, sometimes.”

“My apologies for my lack of diligence in this matter.”

“No, it’s quite refreshing,” she said. 

Bernadetta placed her head on his stomach and began to scroll through her phone. Hubert found himself enjoying the pressure of her head there.

“Well, to put it bluntly, one of my family’s portraits got stolen during clean-up. I must say, I must hand it to the thief for being cunning,” she said. 

“I do know of someone who could help you recover the painting. Might I direct her to you?”

“Please. The corruption going around Adrestia is just too much. But I’m told this thief is stealing from families all over the continent. Will this crime ever end?”

“Apparently, that is the case. Now, if you will, I can give you the recap of today’s events, yes?”

“An abridged version, please.”

Hubert was not very good at giving recaps in the slightest. Instead going into great detail as Bernadetta idled. His free hand fell on her hair as he stroked it in a soft motion. 

“And what of the meeting with Mrs. Varley?” His gaze fell on his girlfriend. He knew it was wrong to fish for a reaction from her as well, but the impulse to do so outweighed anything he had at the moment. 

“Mrs. Varley makes for quite the ally. Already she has given me documents surrounding your political rival. I would need to vet them and send in my contacts to verify them, but if it’s true, then perhaps it’s best to keep her close. I also have yet to read them myself. It will be tonight’s reading.” He eyed Bernadetta. She slowed down from her scrolling, but he couldn’t get the right angle of her face.

“Tomorrow is another day, Hubert. You can read them at work with me, then. You’ve already spent enough time on the phone with me. Spend the rest of it with your girlfriend, please. And give her my regards. Oh, and I could have contact details on the person hunting the art thief, that would be most splendid of you.”

“Very well, then. Goodnight.”

He hung up. Bernie put her phone down. “Looks like a lot happened at work today.”

“Edelgard asked for a recap, but they’ve never been a strong suit of mine. I simply must inform her of all the going-ons.” Bernie moved away from her spot and moved back to eye level with him. He cradled her soft body and pressed a kiss on her cheek, before meeting her lips. He rolled on top of her, the notion making her giggle. Her laugh was ecstasy to him and he didn’t want to waste any more time. “Now, where were we?”

* * *

Bernadetta was invited to an impromptu girl’s night event a few days later. It wasn’t from her mother, but rather Lysithea of all people. She was told to dress formally. 

**Lysithea is inviting me somewhere tonight.**

She couldn’t imagine her inviting Hubert to any kind of event, not willingly. 

**She wasn’t quite herself today at work.**

**Oh no! Is she okay?**

Hubert took a while to reply. **She did all of her tasks accordingly. If I had to say, she was a touch distracted.**

**I mean, Lysithea wants us to dress formally for this so maybe it’s something good! Speaking of, can you rate my look? Is it serious enough?**

When Lysithea got promoted to a full-time hire, all they did was give her extra sweets. She didn’t really insist on anything special. Bernadetta rewore her pink polka dot dress from when she met Edelgard. The only difference was that she wore a matching hairpiece to it and the peony because it looked pretty with it.

**I remember you wore this once before. You look lovely, per usual.**

Bernadetta felt a spark of bravery. **You should show me a picture of you, too. ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )**

**I don’t photograph well.**

**That’s not true! You look great in our selfie! (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ**

Minutes later she received a selfie from him wearing striped pjs. His hair was tousled. 

**Cute!!!! You’re so cute! Cutebert.**

**I don’t know what to say to that.**

**< 3 <3 <3 ( ◜‿◝ )♡**

She finished up getting ready and met Leonie downstairs.

It was easy to forget that Leonie cleaned up quite well. Green was most certainly her color and it was such a rarity seeing her in a dress. “Alright, let’s get this over with. I wore shorts under my dress, does it look too obvious?”

Bernadetta shot her a gaze downwards and shook her head. They took Leonie’s half broken down car.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she said while driving, “I know things have been kinda crazy with Pallardó and your mom showing up and all this other stuff, but are you okay?” Bernadetta had given Leonie the entire recap the first chance she got. She needed to tell someone.

Bernadetta nodded. “It was a shock seeing her but my mom’s not so bad. She’s pretty friendly with Hubert.”

“It’s really weird you met her again through him. She said she expects him to link you two? Has he?”

“I’m not sure. There’s moments where I think he has. I don’t know if I should tell him. What do you think, Leonie? You’re pretty good at coming up with the most practical response.”

Leonie was silent for a full minute. “Well, that would depend on how serious you are, right? I mean, it’s like you said. Telling someone these things isn’t easy. You’ve known Hubert for how long, like seven months?”

“Yeah. And we’ve been dating for five. Oooh maybe it’s too soon for that!” It felt like such a short time had passed since they met. Yet he turned her entire world upside down.

“Is it? I don’t know much about relationships but what I do know is that each one is different and these things happen when they happen, you know?” Bernadetta nodded as Leonie continued. “Like, if it feels right to tell him, then tell him? But I also understand _why_ you wouldn’t tell him. And I think he would, too.” Leonie stared at the road. “Has your mom said anything else since she last messaged you?”

“She hasn’t. She said she’d come into contact soon.” She was feeling apprehensive about it. 

“You don’t think it’s a trap, do you?”

“I don’t think so. She knows Hubert’s my boyfriend and that I’m also connected to Edelgard. If this were a trap, they’d both try to find me if anything happened...I think.”

“If it’s not a trap then maybe he could be watching her every move. Maybe we should set up a system, just in case. She did say your dad is roaring with vengeance. Honestly, I think we should get rid of him but we’ll do it your way, I guess.”

“We should do that...I mean, come up with a system!” Bernadetta said, trying to correct her words. She would have loved to get rid of her father, but if anything happened to Leonie, she would never forgive herself. “What if...what if something were to happen?” she asked. She knew that two years ago, her paranoia was much worse but when there was no indication that no one was coming after her, she let her guard down more and more. But now that her mother confirmed her father was angry at her and was actively seeking her, she had to be prepared.

“I mean, if your sperm donor’s goons are said to be after you, if that were to happen, we would need to do something. Like you send me a message, maybe an SOS or a keyboard smash, and no matter what I’m doing, I’ll be on my way. I’ll make sure to call the cops and everything, but I’ll get their first, probably. Unless they follow me there.”

Bernadetta felt bile rise in her throat. This was a terrifying discussion to have but it was needed. “Thanks, Leonie.”

“Do you remember what you called me a few weeks after we met?” Leonie asked. 

“Um, I think I called you a hornet, right?” Bernadetta still remembered it quite well.

“Yup. You said I’d zip out from the tree and strike. And if anything happened to you, I’d do the exact same thing for you. And I’d sting those guys. Again and again until they can’t fight anymore. Got it?”

They arrived at the restaurant, where Marianne and Hilda were waiting. Hilda had the biggest smile on her face. “You’re quite happy.” But Hilda remained silent, instead, her smile even wider.

Lysithea arrived a few minutes later. “I’ll get right to it. Cyril proposed last night and I said yes!”

Everyone gasped. Marianne reacted by throwing her arms around Lysithea’s neck and Leonie drank a glass of water. Bernadetta couldn’t help but smile.

“It turns out a _certain someone_ knew all along!” She held a pointed gaze at Hilda.

Hilda threw her hands in the air. “What can I say? I _love_ love and romance! And the ring I designed for you is ah-maze-ing!”

Lysithea ordered a large cake for the girls to share. “We have to talk strategy now!”

“Are you saying this is a war council and not a wedding?” Leonie asked. “Only you would do that.”

“Ideally, I’d like a wedding during the Ethereal Moon, _after_ everything blows over with my job. And I’d like the four of you to be my bridesmaids. And I know Marianne can have one of her animals be the ring bearer. _And_ Hilda can help pick a venue. And I know Bernie is good at making outfits. How much do you charge for a wedding dress?”

“M-me?”

“ _You’re_ the one who everyone’s been turning to! I don’t think Hubert would know how to dress himself up even if he tried! And oh this means he _has_ to be at my wedding, but whatever. But I know you’d be the one I’d want to see design the dress.”

“Ahh They take about nine months to make, or um,...maybe six? Uh, I...I don’t know! I’ve never made a wedding dress before!”

“I don’t want anything _too_ elaborate or fancy so don’t worry about that. Besides, Hilda is going to help with the accessories, isn’t she?”

“Of course I am!”

Bernadetta looked at her friends. “Um, just show me what you have in mind and we can work something out. I might have to put my commissions on hold for this one, though!”

The meeting went on while tea and cakes were served and Bernadetta took out her phone. **Lysithea’s engaged!**

**My congratulations to her. I will let her know in the morning.**

**She wants me to make her wedding dress 0_o**

**Whatever you make will look wonderful. You are more than capable of performing the task. Does she have a date in mind?**

**The Ethereal Moon. I don’t have much experience with dresses. I can try! I know you said you have a yearly quota of one party per year but do you think you can make one teeny-tiny exception as my date? (；^ω^）** Bernadetta surprised herself by how forward that was. How would she know for certain that she would still be with Hubert five months from now? Yet something told her he would stay in her life for an amount of time she couldn’t fathom. She liked the idea of that. 

_Maybe things are more serious than I thought? Or at least, they could be?_

**Then in that case, I might make an exception to my rule.**

Bernadetta got another incoming text. This was from her mother. **Are you busy this evening? I was thinking of meeting in this location?** She pinned her to a hotel that was near to where she was. 

**Sure. Believe it or not but I’m out with friends. I will let you know soon enough.**

Bernadetta turned her attention back to the conversation and participated when needed.

“Hey, Leonie, can we make a pit stop here? My mother wants me to meet her at this location.” She sent her the address. 

“Sure! I’ll be hanging out in the lobby if you need me.” They both got out of the car together and walked in the hotel together. It was an upscale one, with golden carpeting and what looked like glass sculptures in the center of the room. 

“Holy smokes,” Leonie said. “I always forget you were one of those types.”

“Kind of?” She never really felt like one, anyway.

“At least we’re not underdressed,” she said.

Her mother was seated in a waiting area, wearing a simple black dress and a white sweater. Her eyes fell on Leonie. “Hey mother. How’s it going?”

“Who’s this?”

“Um, that’s Leonie. She’s my ride here. She’s also um...my roommate. She knows about everything.”

“Leonie Pinelli. Nice to meet you,” she said, her tone remarkably different from what Bernadetta was used to hearing. “Um, I’ll leave you two to it.”

They sat down in the lobby together. “I was thinking of inviting you to dinner, but to my surprise you have a group of friends. You’re certainly living your own life here. It is also for the best that we keep this brief.”

“My friend recently got engaged and we were um, it was her announcement. It wasn’t Leonie, by the way, who um, got engaged. Leonie isn’t even in a relationship. Um, is everything alright?”

Her mother sat down and relaxed her posture. Bernadetta was reminded of her attitude towards her mother and the ever evolving ways it went. Growing up, she revered her as the picture of cold beauty and elegance. She was a standard that she would never meet. As she aged, she saw things differently. There were cracks beneath her surface. Her keen eyes watching everything, not missing a single detail. Sometimes, her mother was so manufactured sometimes that it surprised her whenever she did even the smallest things like relax her posture. “For now, yes. I am leaving tomorrow. I wanted to debrief you on what’s going on. I met with your boyfriend and his boss. The seed against your father has been planted. It’s now a matter of time in regards to how fast they work to get rid of him, as well as what legal and otherwise traps your father could place.”

“Thank you, mother!” Bernadetta embraced her. The thought of her father being in prison or at least confined away was comforting. She could truly live freely and without worry.

“It’s not a guarantee. The process will be long and arduous, and this is your father we are dealing with. I will try to meet with you again, Bernadetta. Take this with you.” She handed her enough money to pay the entirety of next month’s rent. She already had enough for it, but having extra money didn’t hurt, either.

“I’ll try to be careful. I’m just worried about you since you’re going back to him.”

“I’ve managed for thirty years. What’s a few more months?”

Bernadetta said her final goodbyes to her mother and met up with Leonie again. She was tired from all of her socialization. And the fact that Lysithea wanted her to make her wedding dress.

“You know what I said earlier this evening?”

“Which thing?”

“About your mom saying Hubert’s linking the two of you together?”

“Um...yes?”

“She’s right. There’s no way I can look at her and not think the two of you are related. He definitely knows. The fact that he hasn’t brought it up means he’s waiting for you to tell him. But I don’t think he’s mad, otherwise he’d say something.”

“What do I do?”

“It depends. But my advice is to keep going and to keep trusting your gut.” 

Bernadetta nodded as she prevented her paranoia from seeping in. She tried to focus on the world outside of the car window, but her mind raced. _What if Leonie’s wrong?_ Her telling him was all an eventuality but once she would tell him everything she hoped he would understand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh. I'll just get right to it. 
> 
> I'm 90% certain my mother contracted Covid-19 nine days ago. (I live in NYC so it's quite difficult to get tested and since she is experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, nyc.gov says not to get tested unless you are experiencing severe symptoms, b/c everything is...well, there's no supplies anywhere and it's an epicenter right now). 
> 
> I don't know if this will reflect on my updates or my writing as sometimes my coping mechanism is to write, sometimes it's to be away from my computer forever (and my workpile at work just makes me want to shut it down forever at times). I live with her so half the time I feel as though I'm a ticking time bomb as to when I'll contract the virus or maybe I'll just stay asymptomatic. 
> 
> I am aiming to update Sunday 4/5, but I can't promise it. Anyway I'm rambling, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> EDIT: On a much lighter note, I cannot believe a Van Gough painting got stolen the very morning I upload this chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta ease into their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone for your comments in the last chapter. I will try to get back to them soon. I've been busy with everything and I hate to say that with this virus, every day presents its own challenges. My mother's condition has been the same since I last updated, but thankfully, I start spring break as of this afternoon so I will have more time to write and watch over her.
> 
> Please stay safe everyone.

Hubert had underestimated just how fiercely busy he’d become during the Blue Sea Moon. He and Edelgard held a private meeting detailing the validity of what Mrs. Varley had given them. Mostly because she was outright insinuating that her husband was doing some very illegal things for a while sometime. 

It was most certainly odd to see, especially considering the Varleys were married for close to thirty years.

Hubert had sent his contacts to the Oghma Mountains (he had plenty already working for Edelgard’s political rivals, as well as one for her uncle). One was positioned in Mr. Varley’s ironing line. Another was placed directly in their household. More contacts were currently being put into place. Mrs. Varley was seemingly unaware of the new hire they had gotten, for Hubert needed to ensure that all words and whispers came back to him and Edelgard. They would need to investigate him before doing anything. Hubert already loathed the man from their one meeting and he had no qualms about taking him down. If he did his part to help those in the mountains, they would be indebted to Edelgard so that she could properly ascend to the position of power she had always set her sights on.

Being a spymaster wasn’t an easy part of his job and very something that wasn’t said in his job description and kept at a minimum. _What’s the phrase? Keep your friends closer...but your enemies at their throats._ Hubert smirked at the thought. There were times that he had emissaries working for him that Edelgard hadn’t a clue about, but he always kept them close when the election was in sight. That was generally when his opponents were at their most vulnerable, so afraid their secrets would spill they would inadvertently do it themselves. 

All of this kept him away from Bernadetta. He paced and paced and paced around his room after he got home from work Friday afternoon. He was used to running to her place and spending time with her. 

But as of late, she too, was busy, having agreed to make Lysithea’s wedding dress. 

Yet that wasn’t the reason why Hubert was pacing around his apartment like a maniac. He wondered if the question he wanted to posit was too much for her. Hubert took out his phone and typed a message to Bernadetta. He kept adding and deleting texts until he was satisfied with the results.

 **Can I pick you up tonight? This might be presumptuous of myself but I was thinking we could spend the evening together. I feel as though our time together has been rather limited.** He didn’t want to say “sleep together”. There was a very decided sexual connotation to that and the last thing he wanted was for her to believe he was pressuring her.

 **Like, as in a sleepover?** His heart raced. Was this good? Bad? Was she panicking over the idea? Hubert's fingers shook as he tried to do damage control. He didn’t understand it. He was so cool, level headed, and competent at his job, but this girl always made him come undone in just five words.

**If you’d like. I could instead stay and leave at a designated time.**

**I don’t mind. I’ll go get my things.**

Bernadetta had a large backpack on her when he arrived in her driveway and she was wearing comfortable clothing that Hubert suspected were her nightclothes. Hubert thought she looked cute in her fleece pajamas with a bear pattern on them. Speaking of bears, she held her large stuffed bear in-between her arms.

“It feels as though I never get to see you sometimes,” she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. 

“Likewise.” Hubert started the car. 

“I brought Captain Snufflekins if that’s okay with you? He helps me sleep.”

“Of course. I knew you would bring him with you. There’s plenty of space to go around the bed.”

She fiddled with her bear’s ears as he drove. “I'll have dinner prepared for the two of us,” he said while driving. “I’ll make it when we arrive.”

“Oooh what are you making?”

“Steak and baked potato. I’m also willing to expand my palate with asparagus. Does that sound good to you?”

“Yes! I’m excited!” His hand found hers as he drove in near silence (pop music was playing in the background, much to his amusement). And it only grew when he entered the gates and parked the car. 

When they entered his apartment, Hubert saw Bernadetta set her bear aside and looked uncomfortable, she stared at him, her eyes wide. “Is something the mat—” In one swift motion, Bernadetta’s hands were around his waist and she hugged him tightly. Their gazes locked and he understood what it was she wanted. But instead he pressed a kiss to her temple, teasing her. 

“I see. You missed me,” he said, kissing her there once again. 

“Maybe a little,” she said, tilting her face up and rising to her tiptoes.

He felt an adrenaline rush now that she was back here, in the place where they shared their first kiss again. Their first real kiss. He pressed his lips to hers, feeling all of his anxieties just melting away. He had started to forget about work, about his contacts in the mountains, about finances and Edelgard’s upcoming reelection as Bernadetta led him towards his bedroom. His heart pounded in anticipation at the thought of being entangled with his girlfriend once more. 

“Wait, I have to cook us dinner.”

“Just a few minutes? Please?” He understood that their work related circumstances kept them apart. It astounded him that she wanted him like this. “I never got to see you this week.” The way her eyes were pleading and her soon-to-be-kiss-stung lips pouted. Hubert already knew the answer to her question

He couldn’t say no to her. “Alright. Perhaps for a few minutes, then.”

Hubert heard Bernadetta’s stomach growling an hour later. "I ought to make us dinner," he said. 

She buried her face in his chest. "Ahhhh! Please tell me you didn't hear that?! That's so embarrassing!"

“Perhaps I did.” Hubert scooted away from her and got out of the bed. He pleaded she wouldn't catch his arm otherwise he'd have no idea what to do with himself. An hour had passed so quickly between them already. An entire hour of cuddles, soft whispers, and endless kissing. Ordinarily, Hubert would have seen this as such an unnecessary waste if time but not anymore. If anything this was an essential way of spending his free time. "I'll start dinner. Will you help me, butterwort?"

She got up, straightening her clothes and walking right behind him as they readied their cooking supplies. 

After they ate and cleaned up after themselves, she sat on the piano bench and got the piano ready for the two of them to play together. Hubert joined her not longer after she got the song started. 

Hubert felt the sting of embarrassment and chastised himself whenever his hands slipped and he played the wrong note. Time had made him clumsy and he hated the way the piano sounded whenever he played the wrong note. He wanted to recreate the feelings that had sprung up a few weeks ago, but he wouldn’t stop playing the wrong note.

“Hubert, it’s okay,” she said. She must have noticed his frustration. 

“It’s all my errors. I ought to practice more.”

She giggled. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

“I suppose so.” He was pensive. “I still wanted to impress you.” He wanted her to call him beautiful one more time. But it wasn’t something he could just say out loud.

Her hand found his arm. “You already did, Hubert. You impress me every day. I’m…”

He moved his hand up and linked his fingers with hers. “You what?”

She gulped. “I’m really happy when I’m with you.”

He felt an elation from her words. “So am I.” He leaned in and kissed her, his lips brushing against hers. He pulled away. “Shall we try again?”

“Yup. They say practice makes perfect, right?”

Hubert smiled at her and she didn’t wince or look away. Instead she returned it with a smile of her own. He turned back to the keyboard and began playing once more.

It didn’t take long to get ready for bed. 

Hubert was still feeling an adrenaline rush from the idea of being in bed with her and he didn’t want to push their relationship more than what it was. “Is it alright if I just read here?” They had slept together before, through naps and through dozing off, but never an entire night together. 

She seemed just as nervous. “Um, yeah. Go ahead. I brought some supplies with me so um...” She reached into her duffle and pulled out her sewing supplies. 

Hubert grabbed his glasses and began reading. He enjoyed the fact that they just managed to ease into each other like this. He wondered if this would be their routine, if it were to become established, anyway. That he would come home, or she would, perhaps and they would make dinner for the other and retire to bed like this before spending the rest of the night cuddling. That was what he wanted more than anything in the world and now he no longer felt ashamed of it. 

With that revelation, he read in peace as Bernadetta silently knit.

He stopped reading a few minutes later when he saw from the corner of his eye that Bernadetta wasn’t knitting anymore. “Are you tired, butter--” he stopped mid sentence, watching her staring at him intently. “You’re staring. Is something the matter?”

She wordlessly shook her head. 

Hubert was confused. He moved his hand up to take off his glasses when she lunged for his wrist. 

“No! Don’t take them off!” He was now even more bewildered by her behavior. Until she slid her hand from his wrist and found his lips. She broke away. “You, um, look really nice in them.”

Hubert didn’t think much of his glasses. They were square shaped and were used whenever he was reading for large amounts of time. He didn’t like to wear them too often at work but reading without them often gave him headaches. “I do?”

Bernadetta bit her lip and nodded. He loved seeing that look in her eyes, a look that showed she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. He loved seeing her grow bold and comfortable whenever they were alone like this. He could get used to it. 

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, butterwort,” he said, setting his book aside and catching her as she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him some more. He figured he would have to catalogue that for the future, but for now he had to stop them before he would make another impulsive mistake with her... “I’m a little tired today. It’s been quite a long week. You may feel free to retire with me, but I won’t hold you back if you want to continue with your activity.”

“I’ll sleep. Just um.” She set her kit aside on the other nightstand and pulled her stuffed animals close to them. “Now I’m ready.” Hubert held her close, her back facing him, his limbs wrapping around her, one leg over hers and his arm draped over her. 

“Goodnight, butterwort.” He kissed the back of her head.

“Night.”

Hubert fell asleep to the sounds of her breaths rising and falling. She was calming. There was no better way to fall asleep.

* * *

Bernadetta woke up alone in Hubert’s bed the following day. She was woken up by the faint light poking through Hubert’s sun blocking curtains and the fact that she had no longer felt a comfortable weight over her arms. 

“Hubert?” she said, wondering where he was. She got out of the bed.

The kitchen smelled nice, like breakfast, but she heard running water coming from the bathroom sink. He came out of the bathroom once she got back to bed again. His hair was damp and he wore a fresh shirt. 

“It appears I missed your waking up. Good morning.” She smiled at him. The effect was instantaneous, with him crawling back into bed again, where he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her good morning. “You seem to have a particular talent of pulling me back into bed again.” 

“I do?”

“I always hated being here and sleeping.”

“Well, sleeping is good for you, isn’t it?” she said. She bit her lip. “You look a little healthier even.”

“What do you mean, butterwort?”

“Well, um...your skin looks smoother,” she placed her hand on his face for an extra effect, “feels that way too! And um, your black circles have lessened a little. Only a little!” She kissed his cheek. “Definitely smoother!”

“Is this an excuse to kiss me?”

“Um…” she coyly looked away. “Maybe.”

“Good. Do it again.” She kissed his other cheek before he wrapped her up in a full kiss. Bernadetta felt scared and self conscious of her breath being bad, especially considering he had just brushed his own teeth and tasted like cinnamon flavored toothpaste.

She broke away, feeling self conscious. “I should get, um, I should get ready for the day. Um...so um, what are your plans today?” She didn’t want him to drop her off. Not yet. It was only Saturday and she liked this, all of this. 

She worried if she was a good sleeping companion. She didn’t experience any nightmares or... _those_ dreams that often had Hubert in a starring role and she wondered if she moved around too much, or maybe she snored, or maybe she…

“How would you feel about having an outdoors day?”

Bernadetta contemplated the answer for a few seconds. “What kind of outdoors day?”

“Nothing too strenuous, I assure you. And after, we can walk together in the gardens and say hello to the butterworts.”

“I’d like that,” she said. 

“I made us breakfast this morning. Go get ready for the day and I’ll set everything up.”

After they got ready for the day, Hubert drove once again into the heart of the city, where he parked his car and they walked the streets together, hand-in-hand. Being out here like this, even though it was daunting the first few minutes, eventually became comfortable between the two of them. Hubert slowed his pace to match hers. 

“It appears we’ve reached our destination,” he said, pointing to a theater.

“Wait, you had something in mind?”

“Of course. You didn’t believe we would walk around now, did you?”

She saw the headline of the musical being displayed. “That’s...that’s...You remember this play?” She had only mentioned it once long, long ago. 

“How could I not? A malicious, man eating carnivorous plant? I was beset with curiosity. They just started a run yesterday and I got us tickets for a showing this afternoon. I wanted to see the evil butterwort.”

Bernadetta hugged him. She recalled how that series of text messages and his interest and curiosity regarding her weird taste in plants was what made her decide to date Hubert in the first place. It came to be a decision she was now grateful for. 

“Let’s go!”

They watched the play, Bernadetta’s hand squeezing Hubert’s the entire time as the protagonist bougut a butterwort that grew and grew as it’s bloodlust for flesh continued to spiral out of control. She squeezed his hand when the evil butterwort killed the heroine’s abusive boyfriend. For a second, Bernadetta imagined a world where she could just throw her dad in the plant’s vicinity. It would be an awful, wicked thing to do, but if he were gone she could continue to live happily like she was now. And she held his hand even tighter when the heroine was mortally wounded by the plant and asked her lover to let the plant absorb her. She knew all of this was coming, but watching it happen in real time as it unfolded on stage, even with the evil butterwort taunting the forlorn protagonist as its plans for world domination were imminent, made the tears start falling. 

Bernadetta blinked when a white handkerchief was in her line of sight. Hubert was awkwardly offering one to her. She nodded and accepted it before wiping her tears and blowing her nose. She laughed when the butterwort said something funny, like black humor. Hubert had laughed at it and she leaned in his direction. The best part was him readily accepting her even in these silly moods and being a good boyfriend about it. 

“I really loved watching this with you!” she said after they got out of the theater. 

“It seemed like you did,” he said. “I saw you mouthing most of the lyrics.”

Bernadetta blushed. Of course he observed her. He was always gauging her reactions. 

After, they walked around some more. Bernadetta saw a restaurant specializing in crepes and Hubert noticed her interest in it. “Do you want to try this establishment?”

Bernadetta knew how to make crepes, but these were the very complicated ones that required a lot of specialty ingredients. “Can we?”

“Of course. This is our outdoors date. You can do whatever you wish.”

Hubert’s arm was around hers as they ate their crepes. “This is so good. Thanks for taking us out!”

Hubert said nothing in response as he sat, pensive. 

“Hubert? Is something the matter?”

He snapped out of his reverie. “I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Are you happy right now?” 

She swallowed her crepe. “With you? I’m really happy.”

“That’s...good to hear, but are you happy like this? Happy while outside...with me?”

Bernadetta paused. It was good every once in a while to be outside. “Um, well, our outdoors day is going really well, so um, yes!” She didn’t know where he was going with this. "Why are you asking?"

“I’m asking because what if I planned a much bigger outdoors date for us?”

She felt her eyes widen in surprise. “B-bigger? What do you mean?”

“Well, you would have to wait and see. Theoretically, it wouldn’t be right now or even this week. I would assure you it would be nothing too petrifying for you. If not, then we can continue to have our indoors days. I won’t mind.”

She sighed internally at that. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but be intrigued as to what Hubert had in mind for a “big outdoors date”. 

“Um...Hubert?”

“Hm?”

“Can I...can I think about it?”

“Of course you may. I was only merely bringing up the prospect.”

They ate in slightly awkward silence, with Bernadetta imagining what could possibly constitute a bigger date in Hubert's mind. But when his hand slipped into hers and he gave her a smile that she learned was not a frown, she began to feel her uncertainty go away. It almost fully went away when he raised her hand to her lips. 

“Your hand is sticky, like a butterwort.”

Bernadetta retracted her hand and giggled, forgetting all about her earlier worries. “So’s your lips! Are you sure you’re not a carnivorous plant, either?”

“I like to think I’m a poisonous one. Or perhaps a noxious one.”

“You’re so not! I can prove it to you!”

Hubert raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that a challenge?”

“You bet it is!” She smiled at him. “I can show you later today why and give you plenty of reasons why you’re not noxious. Not to me, at least. If you want, I can even show you at home.”

“Yours or mine?” 

Bernadetta felt an increasingly familiar flare of anticipation boil within her as Hubert took her hand and they began to take their leave. “I think yours. It would be a lot less, um disruptive. And um, maybe I can stay over again tonight? T-that is, if you want me to.”

“I believe that can be arranged.” He snuck a kiss to her forehead. “Now that that’s decided. Would you like to visit the flowers again? Perhaps after our confrontation with an evil butterwort, we could see some good ones after.”

She had almost forgotten about the flowers. She loved that he appreciated them just as much as she did. She nodded. “Let’s go say hi to them!”

Hubert smiled. Bernadetta found herself captivated by him and held his hand even tighter as her heart warmed and sped up as she remembered to smile back at him.

“Alright. As you wish.” 


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert and Bernadetta go on their big outdoors date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Hubert's birthday as of the upload date! Everyone say happy birthday Hubert!
> 
> (Also my mother's recovered a bit from the virus but a lot of the symptoms don't want to go. It's really a day-by-day process. Please stay safe!!!)

Hubert had teased a big outdoors date for them throughout the past few weeks. Bernadetta wasn’t sure what Hubert’s idea of a big outdoors date was, but the idea of it being...well, big was a little scary to her. They had a conversation about this again just a few days ago. 

“I will do everything I can to not make it as daunting as possible but I know this will be something that you’ll find enjoyment in,” he said, pressing a reassuring kiss to her temple. “If you’ll allow it.”

“Is this going to be within the capital?” she asked.

“No. I would like to take you elsewhere. Theoretically, we would leave on Friday and come back Sunday. How does that sound?”

“Um...if it’s with you, then I don’t mind.”

Now, Bernadetta had her backpack and a duffel bag with all of her essentials. Her toothbrush, phone charger, her pjs and three sets of clothes (two of which she could mix and match), and a sundress. She took a book, her sketchpad, and some materials for sewing. And of course, she took Captain Snufflekins and Peony. Peony was able to fit inside her bag, but not her bear. She held him in between her arms when Hubert picked her up Friday afternoon after his work was over.

“You brought Captain Snufflekins with you,” Hubert said. 

“Well, I figured I couldn’t go wrong without him protecting and watching over me.” She saw in Hubert’s eyes that he looked affronted by this. “I-I mean, you do a lot of that, too, Hubert, but um…It’s just that...”

“You’ve had your bear for far longer. I understand that he will adequately perform his duties as expected.” He started the car. “May I know as to what duties they are, precisely?”

“Well, Captain Snufflekins is the watcher of all dreams. Whenever I get scary nightmares, he’s always right there beside me when I wake up, reminding me that everything bad is really just...just a figment of my imagination. Also he might not look it, but he’s very soft to the touch.”

Hubert showed a soft smile as he pulled away. “I know.”

“You know what? So are you, Hubert!” Hubert began to open his mouth but Bernadetta cut him off. “Don’t say that’s not true! It is!”

He chuckled. “Very well, butterwort. What else does he do?”

“Well, he likes to watch me make my creations and um...he reminds me to never give up.”

“That’s astoundingly good advice. Perhaps Captain Snufflekins can intern with us. I’m certain he can do a better job than some of my subordinates…”

“Sorry, but he’s not interested in filling out job applications. He’s already got one full-time job with Ol’ Bernie!”

“A shame. I was really hoping for someone competent at their job and with solid references.”

After some mild traffic, Hubert finally hit the highway going northbound and offered his hand for Bernadetta to hold. Bernadetta loved when he did this. Whenever he had a moment to idly offer his hand when he was doing tasks like reading or driving. She knew he would let go when he absolutely had to but for now, she just enjoyed moments like these where they held hands and enjoyed each other. 

The radio station began to lose its connection, now full of static. Bernadetta used her free hand to change the radio stations when Hubert told her to settle on one. “I rather enjoy this song.”

It was a bubblegum pop song with really simplistic lyrics and a high pitched autotuned girl’s voice. Bernadetta watched her boyfriend tap his other hand against the steering wheel. After the song ended, Bernadetta turned down the dial. “I didn’t know you liked that kind of music.”

“Well, Lysithea has sent me playlists of popular songs. Some of them are quite listenable.”

“Oh, is this for your social media thing?”

“It was, at first, but Lysithea’s been sending them more and more often. They’re not just the current songs, but of other genres and some that have faded into obscurity and brought back into popularity due to whatever the ‘meme economy’ as she so puts it, deems worthy enough.”

“‘Meme economy’? Oh, Lysithea.” Bernadetta loved hearing about her boyfriend’s friendship with Lysithea. As much as both parties would deny being close, she knew they were both obstinate birds of a feather. 

Bernadetta watched the scenery as they left Adrestia and entered the Leicester Alliance. They were still headed northbound. It was still daylight outside, yet the sun was starting to weaken and fade into the clouds as it began to dip below the horizon. 

Bernadetta had been in the Leicester Alliance, courtesy of the trip Hilda and Marianne whisked her off into. It was beautiful from what she saw on the train. Of course, going by train was way faster than by car, but she wondered if Hubert wanted a quiet, scenic trip. 

It certainly was. 

She squeezed his hand in awe when they passed by a windmill surrounded by rows of tulips. “Ooooh.”

“It appears we reached the first of the destinations I had in mind.”

“This windmill?” Hubert let go of her hand and parked the car on the side of the road. “Wait, are we going to see that? F-for real?”

“Of course. Would you like to take pictures? Drawing might be quite a difficult task, considering the sun will set soon.”

“Pictures are nice!” Bernadetta got out of the car and watched the scene unfold. The vanes rotated in a slow, almost hypnotic manner as the tulips gently swayed in the wind.

The tulips were bountiful. Shades of red, orange, pink, white, and yellow adorned the rows. They contrasted beautifully with the unfolding sunset above them, heightening their colors. The clouds moved at a similar pace. It felt dreamlike to Bernadetta. “Wow…” Bernadetta was speechless, and caught in the moment of it all. She wished she could speedpaint standing like this, but she only brought a pencil, a pen, and her sketchbook. The best she could do was take photos, and take as many as possible. 

“Did you get enough?” Hubert asked. 

She turned to him. “I think so. I got like a dozen or…” her eyes fell downward as she saw what was in Hubert’s hands. A large bouquet of tulips were in his hand containing two of each color. They were so much bigger close up. “Wow, those are big,” she said. 

“They’re for you.” Bernadetta’s heart sped up. 

“A-are you allowed to do that? Won’t we get arrested for stealing flowers? And then you’ll lose your job and we’ll be fugitives! Oh noooo!”

Hubert got closer, wrapping his arms around her back. “Running away into a life of crime with you doesn’t seem terrible. Perhaps we should steal flowers throughout the world and become the 'Tulip Thieves'.” He lowered towards her, nearly closing the gap between them. “I think it’s alright. There’s thousands of flowers here.” His lips found hers. She breathed in, allowing him to fully embrace her as they stood still in this picture perfect moment while the sky darkened with streaks of orange and purple clouds. She threw her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. A feeling she didn’t recognize bubbled deep within her as she melted into him, like she was floating or flying. All she knew was that she wanted this moment to last forever. She wanted to immortalize it. To remember the feel of his fingers grasping the small of her back tightly, the way his hair tickled her cheek, the way he would breathe in so sharply and she could taste the faint bitter taste of coffee. She adored everything about him.

Hubert broke the kiss, just centimeters away. “I ought to mention the website says it’s free to take enough flowers within a reasonable quantity.” He let go and began to walk towards the car.

“What?! You had me thinking we’d be wanted criminals!  _ Hubert _ !” She stomped after him.

After his teasing faded, Bernadetta sat, watching the scenes of endless tulip fields as Hubert’s car sped past them.  _ Maybe it’s okay if we just took a dozen.  _ The car now had an earthy aroma thanks to the tulips Hubert picked. 

“How far away are we from our destination?” she asked him after the sun had set. The roads had gotten dark and she snuggled against her bear. Rock music was playing on the radio station at a low volume.

“Not very, dearest. We’ll arrive at our destination shortly.” 

The lights became more frequent a half hour later and Bernadetta stirred from her half sleepy daze. “Hey I know this place!” Bernadetta recognized the architecture of the buildings and the slanted roads. “We’re in Derdriu, the Aquatic City, aren’t we?”

“A very good guess. And a correct one.”

Bernadetta couldn’t help but smile. “Bernie’s back in Derdriu?!”

“I must admit, I felt quite envious of all of those descriptions you had given of the city that I had to simply see for myself. We have only a day to ourselves here. Would you like to go explore what I had in mind tomorrow?” 

Her attitude now changed. She had the impulse to explore every nook and cranny with Hubert, but since they had a day only, she didn’t mind Hubert having something planned out for them to do. 

“Of course, we can also do whatever you wish and save what I had in store for another occasion.”

“No, I wanna go.” She trusted him. 

The revelation shook her to her core. Even though it was something as small as allowing Hubert to surprise her like this spoke volumes towards her attitude on him and their relationship as a whole. And it wasn’t just that. She trusted him enough to let him inside her room and share her space. She trusted him to share a bed and with her taste in movies and with her cooking and with countless other things. 

With that realization, Bernadetta felt she was inching towards something bigger with Hubert than she could have ever imagined.

The hotel Hubert had reserved was surprisingly quaint and appeared cozy. It wasn’t anything like his usual style. “This is an interesting choice,” she said when she dropped her duffle bag in a nearby chair. The room had walls of varying shades of blue and gold, the pillows snow white and brown. Bernadetta could see the boats moving from the window. It was honestly romantic.

“If I must be honest, I chose this venue because they were said to have the best coffee.”

“Of course you did.”

“The reviews said the fish were quite excellent, considering we’re in the fish capital of the world. Or so they claim.”

Bernadetta sat on the edge of the bed. “Hubert. You know better than to see the reviews. Not after what happened last time."

He moved in her direction and she pulled back, placing herself on the center of the bed as he climbed on top of her. “I am aware of that,” he said, his voice low. “If we have another terrible experience, I would very much enjoy reading the one star reviews, afterwards.” Bernadetta’s breathing became shallow as he took her hand and gently kissed it. 

“O-okay. I w-wouldn’t mind that!”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about my time with you, is that I’ve learned even the most negative of experiences are always enjoyable so long as I am with you. You make everything good or bad worthwhile.” He kissed her lips gently and only once. Bernadetta, wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. She was so used to being negative all the time and seeing the worst in everything and to be told that even when they did happen, Hubert still enjoyed being with her. It pulled at her heartstrings. 

Hubert pulled away after she sniffed a little too loudly. “Your face is wet. I brought some of the handkerchiefs if you need one.”

Bernadetta didn’t process what Hubert was saying until she touched her cheeks. “Oh. I'm crying.” She laughed, but it came out as a sob. “It’s just that no one’s ever said that to me before. I’m so used to people focusing on all of the bad that I just see it that way.”

“Is that it? Then I will remind myself to say this to you with increasing frequency.” He kissed both her cheeks, as though he were kissing her tears away and moved from his position on top of her to being next to her as she allowed herself to cry. 

“I know you think Bernie’s a crybaby.” She sniffed. “On second thought, I think I need a tissue. You don’t need to waste a handkerchief on me. Maybe in the bathroom?"

“I have yet to check there. I’ll be right back.”

Hubert brought back a box of tissues and waited out her crying. “Perhaps we ought to order room service.”

“Yeah, I’m a little hungry.”

“We should head to bed sometime after. I meant it when I said I want to enjoy all future experiences with you—good or bad, Bernadetta. I’m looking forward to our day tomorrow.”

* * *

Hubert had a very specific venue in mind when he chose to take Bernadetta to Derdriu and he was glad she had agreed to what she perceived was a mystery locale. The day was bright and sunny, as evident through the blinds, and it was only a matter of time until Bernadetta woke up. 

She was sleeping in a fetal position, her arms wrapped tightly around her bear. He was caught in the crossfire of her grip and despite successfully wiggling his way out a few times prior, she had always found her way back to him. Her legs would tangle with his and he’d be trapped yet again.

Hubert wondered if she was half awake each time she did it, but her expressions remained unchanged as she moved around the bed. She was a deeper sleeper than he had given her credit for.

But it was already nearing nine am and she needed to wake up. Hubert knew if he were Bernadetta, she would wake him up gently, but the problem was the few times they slept together, he was the one who woke up first. He wasn’t used to waking up at a later hour, especially after having slept so soundly next to her, but he had already brushed his teeth, showered, shaved, and combed his hair.

Hubert kissed the top of her head. No reaction. 

He kissed her temple. This time the corner of her lips curved into the ghost of a smile.  _ I’ve got you now.  _ He lowered to her nose and finally her lips. She reciprocated, her lips softer than ever before. 

“Good morning,” he said. 

“Morning.” She stretched. “What time is it?”

“It’s close to nine. We ought to have breakfast and get ready for our day.” Bernadetta set the bear down and embraced him fully. Hubert tried to ignore the swell he was feeling in his chest. The feeling of being looked after and feeling doted upon. 

“Okay. But can we just stay like this, if only for a few minutes? Just hug me.”

Hubert obliged, placing his arms around her. They had turned towards each other. Bernadetta always looked beautiful, but there was something spectacular about the way she looked when she woke up in the morning. It clouded his thoughts and made him believe in things he never thought were possible. 

“Thanks for tolerating when I cry,” she said. 

“It’s of little concern.” Hubert never thought he would have fallen for someone who felt everything so deeply. Ordinarily, he would have found this kind of behavior frustrating, but with time and patience, he was able to understand her way of processing things and how sensitive she truly was. It was one of the reasons he had fallen for her. However, that being said, Hubert disliked that someone in her past seemed to say being with her was a bad experience. For one, it was an asinine thought, and two, she yet again inadvertently said something about her past, which was a topic he had his own personal concerns about. But right now, he wanted to focus only on making good memories with her.

“You’re going to enjoy what I have planned today.”

“I will?”

“I’ve gotten to know your interests and I can say this with all certainty. You ought to get ready. I will get dressed for the day while you do so.” He pecked her lips before watching her go into the bathroom. 

Seconds later he heard the shower faucets being turned on and he tried to distract his thoughts yet again of thinking about the fact that she was in the shower. He focused on the clothes he brought and wore a simple black button up shirt and black pants. It was appropriate enough casual summer wear. 

Bernadetta had worn a light blue dress with a pineapple pattern.. He loved her unique taste in style and the way she wore cute things like that. It was difficult to take his eyes off her. 

He had seen the pictures of their destination before and the distinctive glass dome reminded him he was in the right place. There were plenty of cars stationed here, on account of it being a popular tourist destination. 

“Why does this look familiar?” Bernadetta asked. 

“Because this is the Derdriu Aquatic Gardens,” he said. “The only aquatic gardens in all of Fódlan.”

Bernadetta was silent, yet when he snuck a glance, he saw her eyes widened in surprise. And when he parked the car, she almost flew out the door and linked her arm with his. “This is so exciting! I can’t believe you’re taking me here, Hubert! You’re the best!”

All he did was search for other gardens and this one had come up, but he loved hearing her compliments. “It wasn’t too hard to find.” Her hand clasped his as they paid for their tickets and entered. There were different biomes in the dome and they were immediately met by a marsh-like environment. 

“It’s beautiful,” Bernadetta said as Hubert swiped a brochure that doubled as a tour map and guide. “Look at all of the water lilies! She grabbed his hand and ran over to the descriptions of the plants engraved in a bronze plate. Hubert studied every plant he could remember.

Bernadetta had an immense knowledge of plants, but she seemed less knowledgeable about aquatic based ones...but to make up for her lack of knowledge, she had made up for it in spades with her curiosity and admiration for them. 

The exception to that were the carnivorous plants, of course.

“Oh goodness, Hubert, are those bladderworts?! I can tell by the pretty small flowers that they are!”

“I read on their website that this location harbors these plants.” He read the plaque. “ _ Common Bladderwort _ . You were correct.”

“These little guys are really neat, Hubert! They eat things like zooplankton and um, crustaceans and they have these like, little bladders underneath them…”

“Hence their name,” Hubert said. 

“Exactly! And when their food touches these hairs they can absorb them in less than one millisecond. They digest pretty quickly, too! I think it takes less than an hour and they’re ready to eat again! They’re such hungry little guys! But they would be, because their environment is also not as well suited.”

Hubert was reminded how much he greatly enjoyed hearing Bernadetta’s lectures on her plants. “Like the butterwort, then, in terms of their being a lack of nutrients.”

“Hmmm exactly! Oh look there’s more of them! There’s a floating one too, right over there! I wonder if there’s more!” Bernadetta led him around the biome. He was hoping for this outcome, where she would just take the reins and lead him around to her heart’s content. 

They had found more, such as the waterwheel bladderwort. “Oh these guys are really rare! Look at their shape! And they eat mosquito larvae, which is really neat! Although their traps are big enough to eat small fish.” Or about their impact on the environment. “You know what’s funny about these plants is that they can easily become invasive if they’re not carefully monitored, yet if they aren’t, they can easily become endangered! It’s two different extremes, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.” He couldn't help but stare at her adoringly.

They walked around other segments, lingering for hours as Bernadetta studied each plant and Hubert found more reasons to love her passion for plants. Her excitement, her elation of being here enraptured Hubert. He loved bringing her all the way here by car and seeing the light in her eyes as she conversed with him. 

They didn’t leave the gardens until well into the afternoon, and the two of them decided to walk around a nearby pier hand-in-hand, enjoying the scent of saltwater and watching the ships while they passed by as other tourists rode their bikes or used a taxi carriage to see the sights. 

“Have you been enjoying this getaway of ours?” he asked. 

She nodded gleefully. “Thanks for taking me here.”

“I realize we haven’t had much time to visit your friends,” he said. “Would you like to stop by and say hello?”

Bernadetta hesitated. “Um, maybe another time. I feel like doing that would drain me a little and I still feel like I have some energy left in me! I’d like to come here again with you and we can do that,” she said. She swallowed the salty air. “You know, sometimes I feel so scared, you know? I feel this dread, this fear of going out and seeing things that I would rather retreat into my room and do things there, like create and be productive. And then when I’m out, I think to myself ‘hey, the world isn’t so bad. I could stay here! I learn things I wouldn’t have the chance to learn if I had stayed in my room.’ But the feeling never lasts and I get tired.”

“You said you haven’t felt tired yet,” he said. “I suppose that’s my natural inclination as well, although it is less of a need on my part. Perhaps it’s the years I’ve had to endure in the settings my father wanted me to live in.”

“I guess you’ve got a point. And seeing this, all of this. I have to wonder if my uncle has seen these exact places.” 

“It’s possible.”

“He said when I was older he’d whisk me away and we’d travel the world together. When I was younger, I had a dream, you know? I wanted to go around the world, past Fódlan, beyond Brigid and Dagda and fill up entire notebooks with drawings of plants and everything I found cool. Especially carnivorous plants!”

“I noticed. When I was in your room, the difference between your drawing of Derdriu and the rest of your landscape portraits was stark. I could see the life in them. I could see the world through Bernadetta’s eyes. And it’s beautiful. I wish to see more of it.”

He had zeroed in on her. She was speechless.“I…”

“What’s stopping you?” Hubert pressed. 

Bernadetta paused. “I…” She remained silent, her gaze blank.

Hubert chastised himself for breaching into something he shouldn’t have. He had never gotten something so precious out of her and he had pressed her. “My apologies, I shouldn’t push you.”

“I really don’t know. I think it’s fear. There’s millions of bad things that could happen. It’s how my uncle passed away.”

“Well, in our travels so far, have you felt that?”

She shook her head. “I’ve felt so happy and...well, seeing the gardens here was so nice and blissful. It’s motivating. Like, are there plants in areas you wouldn’t expect? Like in frozen tundras or in scorching deserts? Maybe one on the edge of a volcano! Who knows? Maybe I’ll find them.”

“Perhaps not inside a volcano,” Hubert said. 

Bernadetta laughed. “No.” Their gazes met. “What else do you want to do here?” Bernadetta asked. 

“We never had lunch. We could go straight to dinner.”

“I kind of want to go back to the hotel and rest up a little.” Hubert himself felt a little tired. Whenever he was with Bernadetta for extended periods of time, he would forget to consume the massive quantities of coffee he was so used to. He figured this was a good thing, feeding off her energy and knowing when it was time to rest.

The drive wasn’t too far and their rest would give him the opportunity to browse nearby restaurants and venues, where they could indulge in a good meal. 

However, what Hubert didn’t expect was when the door to their room closed, Bernadetta had seized him, guiding him to the large bed, her lips on his. She was unexpectedly exuberant as she toppled over his knee. That was sure to make him bruise. He didn’t care about that right now.

“Oh no, did I hurt you! Sorry!”

“It’s alright,” he said, wanting to go back to what she had initiated. 

“Oh.” Their gazes met and Bernadetta pushed his hair back. Hubert would have never allowed anyone else to do such a motion. It was something to him that felt so invasive, that someone would have to see his full face and everything he was self-conscious about. His low eyebrows, his sharp cheekbones, the strange angular shape of his head, his long nose, faded acne scars, everything. But she didn’t see him that way. The way she pushed his hair back was so intimate. She wanted to  _ see _ him. 

Her lips met his once again, her intensity not something he was used to. He let out a low groan in his throat, which caused Bernadetta to steady herself as she straddled his hips, her hands looping comfortably around his neck, her elbows resting on his shoulders. He parted her lips, his tongue flitting inside, almost tentative. She welcomed him eagerly. This reminded him of last month, when she was exploring him in a relaxed and affectionate manner. This was the exact opposite of that. Especially with the way she was moving on top of him. 

A flurry of thoughts came to mind in a flash.  _ Is she ready? Is this what she wants to do? That dress needs to come off. _

That last thought caused him to pull away. “Bernadetta….” Her name was rough on his tongue, which still had the taste of her. He was breathing as though he had run for miles when all he did today was walk for long stretches of time. She stopped moving. Hubert thought he would feel relief from this, but only felt even more pained.

“Yes?” Her voice was expectant and low. Her eyes fell on his chest. It was clear that she too, was experiencing a heady feeling from all of this.

Hubert noticed that somehow the buttons in his shirt had popped off. Either they had done that or Bernadetta was stealthier than he gave her credit for. A finger traced his bare chest. Hubert shivered from the way her finger felt.

“Are you...do you want to take this further?” He didn’t account for her possibly wanting to make love during this trip. His entire body shook at the notion. If she wanted to, he would need to step outside and procure contraceptives.

“Um, maybe not go all the way, Hubert. I um, I think I’ll be ready soon, but not today.”

“Take as long as you need,” he said. “I’m in no rush.” He noted for when he got home to go to a nearby supermarket and buy some contraception if the moment should arise. 

“I um…” she began. “There is something I um...oh…” Her face flushed different shades of pink. 

“Is there something you want?” His hands found hers.

“Um...Bernie’s feeling shy all of a sudden!” 

“You don’t have to feel shy when you’re with me, Bernie. I promise.” He kissed her temple, reassuring her that everything was okay with him. 

“I kind of really want you to touch me. Like, it’s okay now. I trust you.”

“Is that all?” he asked in a feeble attempt to keep himself in check. 

“Yes,” she said in a squeak as he rose from his position underneath her and switched so that she would be under him, her soft body yielding and pliant to his touch. She keened with each new area he focused on, her cries softer than he could have ever anticipated. She popped off the rest of the buttons of his shirt and he helped her by discarding it. Her hands ran along his bare chest, her fingers lingering before she moved onto the muscles in his back, where she dug her nails into when he made his way to her neck. He sunk his teeth into the soft flesh, in a desperate attempt to know what her skin tasted like, if she was just as delectable as he thought she was since the moment she had met. Hubert was able to confirm his suspicions were correct as her own nails pierced into his skin as she cried out, the sounds sweet and captivating to his ears. He just hoped she didn’t bruise too much from that nip and that it would be easy to cover up. 

One of her hands eventually found his once more. “L-lower, Hubert.” She guided his hand lower, towards her thighs, which were hidden underneath that dress. For a moment, Hubert wanted to lower his head and kiss both of her thighs, but instead, he lingered at face level, meeting her each step of the way as she kissed him.

“Are you certain?” he asked. 

“Y-yes.”

Hubert slowly raised her dress and lowered her undergarments, his fingers teasing her entrance, astounded by how much she wanted him back. She gasped. He had dreamed of this moment for so long as he carefully eased his way in. Bernadetta gasped his name. He wanted to focus on her face, but saw her fingers had grasped the bedsheets as he explored her, finding a rhythm and paying attention to her reactions and what she liked and wasn’t as receptive to. 

He moved to the crook of her neck, kissing her fervently, especially where he had bit at her skin minutes ago. He tried to think of something to say as she reacted to his touch, but all he could think of was  _ I love you, Bernadetta. I love you. I love you.  _ He thought about all of the ways he loved her. How when the year started, he was closed off and believed he was never going to be in a situation like this. This was unfathomable. The thoughts of him having intense emotions and feeling wanted in return was never something he would have thought imaginable.

But he couldn’t say he loved her with his entire being. That he wanted to be here for her, now and forever, and help her grow and watch her explore. He couldn't say that here. Not now. He would tell her when the timing was right. When it was appropriate, and definitely before he would have the chance to make love to her properly. 

She tried to chase him with her kisses, but he focused on her implicit directions and how close she was to being sent over the edge. With one high-pitched moan and short gasping breaths a few seconds later, Hubert knew he had succeeded and released his grip on her. 

He couldn’t resist the temptation and tasted her on his fingers while she recovered from her high. He had other temptations, like resuming this once more and making her fall over the edge again and again, all throughout the night until she was entirely spent. But for today, when it was their first taste of anything sexual, and it was best for things to remain at that. Despite that, it had been the single most erotic moment of his life so far.

“I...That...was amazing!” she finally said as she recovered. He kissed her, then pulled up beside her. “Um...are you…” She was clearly hesitant to touch him below the waist. Hubert didn’t want her doing anything she was hesitant to do. 

“I’ll be fine,” he said, just as out of breath. He felt tightly wound, but figured he would take care of the problem one way or another once Bernadetta made her choice on what she wanted to do next. “Do you want to rest up?”

“That did make me a little sleepy.” 

_ Perfect _ , he thought. He would watch her nap or perhaps even join her, but not before replaying what just happened for his thoughts alone where she couldn't see him. “Then sleep, my beautiful Bernadetta. I’ll wake you in a while.”

She yawned as she fell asleep in his arms. _ I love you _ , he mouthed. One day, she would know that he was in love with her, and he hoped that she, too, loved him in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any comments please leave them down below!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go so well for Hubert and Bernadetta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how to preface this chapter, but there's some upsetting content here. I don't go too much into detail but it's necessary for the final arc of this story.

Hubert couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He locked the door to his office as he dealt with this phone call that was going south fast. 

“What do you mean, you were ‘let go’?” he asked, his voice in a low growl. “Was hiring you a mistake? What did you do that made you slip? What could have possibly given you away?” 

“N-nothing, Mr. von Vestra. Nothing at all!”

He had never been in a situation like this one before, where one of his spies was fired from their job, compromising him entirely. “Do not give me that excuse! You weren’t discreet in your methods. Do you not realize the importance of this mission?”

With his free hand, Hubert massaged his temple. His head throbbed.

“I need to go. Do not call again.”

There was a knock on the door. “Go away.”

The knock grew louder.

“I said go away! I’m busy.”

“I was going to offer you coffee,” Lysithea said through the door, “but I guess I won’t.”

Hubert didn’t care for coffee right now. Especially since he found out his contact who was placed in the mines was fired. How else was he going to get reconnaissance for Varley’s corruption?

“You’re so rude!” Lysithea spat out. He could hear her stomping away. 

Hubert’s hand clutched the edge of his desk and he closed his eyes. Just days ago, he was enjoying a blissful weekend with Bernadetta, where they had shared countless words and kisses and pictures together. And now his mission had been compromised. It had become his sole goal right now. If he could find any threads that linked to corruption in Edelgard’s competitor  _ and  _ a way to fix a persisting problem that no one wanted to deal with. If he and Edelgard solved it, they could prove to the world how competent they were. 

But of course it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing ever was. 

His phone rang. It was another one of his contacts. This one was located inside the Varley estate. Not even Mrs. Varley was aware that her new maid was working for him. “Hubert von Vestra is speaking.”

“Horrible news, Mr. von Vestra, but it appears I’ve been let go.”

“ _ What _ ?” he couldn’t believe this. “You were  _ let go _ ?” How was his staff this bad? Was it because he was so distracted by his personal life with Bernadetta? Was it because he didn’t work extra hours and kept extra tabs on his staff? “Am I supposed to hold your hand as though you are an infant for these missions?”

“N-no, but…”

Hubert’s patience was low. “But what? Choose your words carefully. I am not in the mood for more excuses.” He heard a beep. His third contact was calling. He added them to the line. “Speak your piece.”

“Varley said I was let go today, Mr. von Vestra.”

“You’re the third now.” Hubert was alerted to the fact that perhaps his workers weren't as incompetent as intially thought. There were too many firings for it to be a mere coincidence. Hubert needed space. He needed a moment to think. It wasn’t often when he was thwarted like this. This was alarming, this was concerning, this was simply—

“Um, if I may, I find this suspicious,” the former maid said. 

“Of course this is suspicious!” Hubert felt his temper still flaring. “All of you were let go on the same day. Either one of you messed up or Varley knows he’s being watched.” Or he could have been betrayed. Varley was a smart man and based on the initial reports Hubert had gotten, the man was a control freak in  _ all  _ aspects of his life. In fact, there was nothing good that could be said about the man in any of the initial reports.  _ How could one such man have no redeeming qualities? _

“I haven’t seen Mrs. Varley in days,” the maid said. “She made no indication of leaving, either.” She held her breath. 

“What is it? I can tell you have more to say so say it.”

“Well, before she disappeared, Mrs. Varley looked unwell.”

“Unwell...in what manner?”

“She walked with a limp. And I spotted a bruise on the inside of her wrist.”

“I saw her sobbing in her room when he wasn’t around,” another said. “It’s within reason to say this is spousal abuse.”

Hubert’s thoughts immediately soured. It was one of the few moments where he felt disgusted beyond belief. “Bastard.” He had an inkling that something was very, very wrong between this couple, but this was the worst case scenario. It would make sense now that he was seemingly confirmed of his mistreatment why she was so intent on taking him down.  _ This  _ was what she wanted Hubert to discover. Perhaps she did figure out he sent in spies, but it seemed so did her husband.

“Thank you for your service. You may begin your preparations on your return to Enbarr, but I require a lengthy recompense of the two of you in the form of lengthy detailings of everything that you witnessed. I hope you took notes.” He hung up on the call and called the first spy, asking for the same. 

Somehow, Varley had figured him out. 

Hubert realized he should have asked them if they had other secrets, but he realized there was still one thing he could do. He dialed Mrs. Varley’s number. He didn’t expect her to answer as the line rang...and rang...and rang….

To his surprise, someone had picked up. “It’s you. I’m onto you, boy. Don’t think I didn’t know you sent your little spies to watch over me. Never call this number again.”

He hung up. Hubert called the number again but got a busy signal. He had been blocked. 

Hubert left his office and knocked on Edelgard’s door. He realized then he had foolishly forgotten she wasn’t in her office today. Rather, she had been helping the poor and feeding the homeless. He chastised himself for getting caught up in the moment. 

“You look really out of it today,” Lysithea said. 

“I need to talk to Edelgard.”

“No shit. She’s not here.”

“I know that, Lysithea. Now’s not the time for your impudence.” 

“Maybe if you just tell me what’s going on, then maybe I can help, too.” Hubert stared at Lysithea. She was so far a lot more helpful than he could have imagined. She was also a good mentor. He recalled his outline of the outdoors date he had planned a week ago and how she ruffled his hair and called him a good student. “Then you’ll be less cranky. You’re acting like you were before you started dating Bernie.”

“It’s a long story. Let’s go to my office where we can talk privately.” There, he told her about the Varleys. As much as he could, anyway.

“You said she’s that wildfire lady, didn’t you?”

“She is.”

“I remember her at the party.” Hubert had a feeling there was more to this than what Lysithea was saying. “Do you remember when you were badgering me about Bernie going missing?”

“Yes, and I had you search for her because I was worried her anxiety would get the best of her.”

“I saw her walking in the corridor back to the party. Mrs. Varley was right behind her and I thought for a moment that she looked awfully familiar. If I didn’t know any better then maybe they could have been related.”

Hubert didn’t want to hear that. Not in this context, no. He had strongly suspected there was a relationship, but now that he had known Mr. Varley was an enemy, he especially dreaded that now.

He didn’t believe in the Goddess or anything regarding religions but he prayed to something, anything that there was no connection. Because if there was... _ Perish the thought.  _

And the moment Edelgard was free, he would need to tell her everything.

_ Tonight, tonight I will ask Bernadetta for answers. I need to know if they’re related. _

* * *

Bernadetta hummed a little tune while she sewn the beginnings of Lysithea’s dress. “Hmmm hmm hm,” she sang, making up the words as she went along. “I’m sewing a pretty dress. Ethereal Moon weddings, one kiss for luck, two for joy, three for kindness, four for life…” 

She had never felt so happy before. 

Even though she was working on the dress, she also wanted to make Leonie a hornet plush for her birthday next month and paint a portrait of the windmills at sunset. Bernadetta watched the bouquet of tulips on her desk. The portrait would be for Hubert. His walls were too barren.

She would need to fix that. Hubert needed more colors in his home.

That floating feeling she had since visiting the windmills hadn’t left her. Even though Hubert wasn’t here with her right now, she was happy to be by herself and working on her commissions. She enjoyed her time alone and she had the need to be productive. There was just so much she had to process during that trip. Hubert had tried his absolute best throughout and was patient with her even though she nearly ruined things with her crying. 

Each and every moment with him made her happier and happier, Bernadetta couldn’t recall if she had ever felt that happy before. And now she had all of these lovely memories of them together. 

She also thought of the way he had touched her. It was everything she wanted, everything she imagined, and more. She was told her entire life that men did sexual things to women and then left them cold, but the way Bernadetta saw it, it had only brought them even closer. She was now strongly considering taking the plunge with him and further exploring each other. The idea of sex, especially with him, didn’t seem so scary now. “I’m ready,” she said to the walls. “Well, I think I’m ready. I’m more ready than I used to be, anyway.”

Perhaps it would be something to talk about with him and easing into their relationship.

**Hubert, can you come over tonight?**

She resumed her stitching. She had a certain goal she wanted to make today, even though this dress would take a while. The von Ordelias were paying her generously for this so she couldn’t mess this up.

**After work, yes. There is something I’d like to discuss with you.**

**Oh good. It’s the same here. I’ll see you, then!**

Bernadetta continued her commission, tuning out her thoughts. She almost didn’t hear the door opening on the first floor, the bells ringing. Either Hubert had arrived early or she lost track of time. Or it was Leonie. 

She heard the stairs creaking. 

Bernadetta’s reflexes went haywire. She put down her supplies to listen in. Usually when Leonie came home, she’d hear the sounds of the fridge door and cabinets being slammed. And Hubert would always tell her via text he was here and wait for her outside. 

With shaking hands, Bernadetta grabbed her phone. She checked the time. It was too early for Hubert to still be here. He would still be at work right now.  **Leonie are you here?**

No response. The noises got closer. 

With her phone in hand, Bernadetta flew to her door, locking it. She wasn’t sure if saying something would be the right thing to do. Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe she was hearing things. 

**No, Im not.**

Dread filled her.  **Please come home.**

“I know you're in there, Bernadetta.” 

Bernadetta froze.

It was her father’s voice. 

He had tracked her down. He was here, just as her mother had warned. Her breakfast had risen to her throat. Bernadetta imagined a thousand scenarios of her father tracking her down, and they always involved his men coming after her. Not once did she ever consider  _ he  _ would come for her. He wasn’t the type to do that. That only meant she had angered him really,  _ really _ badly.  **Come fast, please. SOS.** Her hands were shaking.

**OMW. Cops, too**

_ Thank you Leonie. Please be quick! _

“We can do this the easy way, Bernadetta, or we can do this my way. What do you choose?” There was nothing she could say to that. Her blood was running cold and her eyes darted everywhere for an escape. She looked out her window and peered over. There was a van right in front of her house. There was a henchman sitting in the front seat. They had made eye contact. 

Bernadetta squeaked.  _ Now they  _ know  _ I’m here! What should I do? What should I do? _

“The longer you have me wait the worse it’s going to be for you.”

She wondered how long it would take for help to arrive. 

Her mouth felt like sandpaper, but Bernadetta knew she needed to stall for time. “Why are you here?”

“I came to see my daughter, of course. And to have a little chat with you.”

“No. Go away! Can’t you just leave me alone?” He already haunted her thoughts enough as it was. 

“Like you left me alone for two years? Like you left mother alone due to your selfishness. Do you know the millions of gold you made us lose out on? The humiliation I had to endure for weeks after?”

“Good,” she said, not realizing she said her thoughts out loud. 

He rattled the doorknob. “You ungrateful, insolent, worthless brat! Open the door right now!” His screams were inhumane, which made her knees shake with panic. She hated that he still had an effect on her like this. She was waiting for the moment she would wake up and this would all be a nightmare “When I open that door, you’re going to answer for all of the things you’ve done to me.”

“No!”

“If you don’t, your mother will only experience the worst of it. What? You don’t think I don’t know about the two of you and the way you’ve both decided to run around behind my back, with your mother set on tainting our name? Or that filthy boyfriend of yours sending his little spies to watch over me.”

Bernadetta wanted to message Hubert, but she didn’t know what to say other than the fact that she was sorry for not telling him. That she was a terrible, dishonest girlfriend. That he didn’t deserve her.  **Hubert I’m so sorry.**

“How did you figure all of that out?”

“Do you really think that I would have simply let your mother out and about unattended? What I didn’t expect was reports of her encountering you at that party. How you left the party with that man. Have you been whoring yourself out to him? You’ve tainted yourself. You’re polluted—”

“Stop it, please stop it!” She didn’t want him talking about her relationship with Hubert. He was so good to her. He was kind and funny and romantic and the one time they engaged in foreplay it was consensual and entirely meaningful. Bernadetta didn’t feel like a whore for it and she refused to give into that feeling. “I’ll do what you say, then. Just please don’t hurt mother, okay?”

Bernadetta’s hand was on the lock. She thought back to everything she had accomplished in two years and just how much of a different person she was now that she had been freed from her father’s clutches. She was so much happier now and she led a full life. 

“What are you waiting for?”

“I want to negotiate with you.”

Her father scoffed. “Negotiate? You stupid child.” The door began to pound. It was clear to her that time had run out. “Since you’re clearly lying to me, then I have no choice.”

Bernadetta moved back, watching the window. Leonie or the cops still hadn’t arrived. 

“Please come please come please…”

The doors opened. For a split second, Bernadetta got a good look at the man she loathed. The man who existed only to make her life miserable. Bernadetta heard the stories Hilda and Lysithea spoke about in regards to their fathers and they were  _ nothing _ like the man standing before her. He had aged considerably the last two years. His hair had thinned out and he lost some weight. There were lines around his forehead, probably from frowning too much. 

He was with two other men. Of course he brought his men. Bernadetta wasn’t going to do this without putting up a fight. “Stay away from me!” She began to throw everything she could at them. Her books, her sewing supplies (not that it did much), her boxes of accessories. Even though it wasn’t much, her aim was good enough to slow them down.

One of the men seized her by the wrist. Bernadetta remembered her lesson with Leonie and punched him straight into the gut. She took down her bookshelf and flattened the other man with it. The other man grabbed both of her wrists this time and she kicked and kicked as hard as she could. “I’m…I’m not afraid of you! Not anymore!”

Her father made a beeline for her and slapped her. “You’ve become too defiant.” She knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to tie her down and make her never leave that damned chair. He would break her. Bernadetta would never allow him to do so. She would fight and fight for her freedom. 

Bernadetta’s legs scrambled to kick him. The heels of her shoes connected with his stomach and he jerked back. “Take her away.”

“No! No!” They began to haul her off. Bernadetta didn’t want to lose hope. She had so much left to do with this life she had built. She had friends and a boyfriend and a life she never thought she would come to love. 

She realized at that moment how much of the world she wanted to see. How she had lived out a portion of her dream already for it to be taken away like this.

“Let go of her!” Leonie was at the door, blocking their exit. She moved in a flash, taking the two men holding Bernadetta down and she caught her. “I’ve got you, Bernie.” Bernadetta had never seen Leonie look outright murderous. The two men were down on the ground, unable to move. Bernadetta hugged her. “You must be the sperm donor I’ve heard so much about.” Her father appeared unbothered by Leonie, who had just taken down two of his men in seconds flat, but she knew better. He was terrified of meeting the same fate. Of being bested. Bernadetta knew Leonie had years of fighting experience but never got to actually see her in action. She was the real deal.

There was a moment of silence as Bernadetta let go of her friend and hid behind her. “You—” Leonie moved quickly and subdued her father in seconds flat. 

“I really don’t want to hear it.”

There were more noises outside the door. Reinforcements had arrived. 

“What’s the problem?” One of the cops said. 

“These guys broke into my house and have tried to—” Bernadetta tuned out Leonie’s words. She couldn’t listen anymore. Even as the police hauled her father and his men off, all she could do was turn into a ball and cry. There was nothing else she could do. Not after all that.

She wanted to disappear, to forget she was ever Bernadetta von Varley. She let the darkness take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for this. I know where I'm going with this.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert contends with the aftermath of what happened to Bernadetta. A Hubert centric chapter. Part 1 of 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I wasn't expecting a lot of positive feedback from the last chapter. Thank you everyone for leaving a comment and letting me know your thoughts!
> 
> I'm sure I messed up a thing or two in this chapter but I decided to take some liberties for the sake of the story, there's a certain point I'm trying to get across.

Not long after Hubert had gotten that strange text from Bernadetta, he had received a call from Leonie. It didn’t matter that he was in the middle of supervising something one of the new college interns, Fleche von Bergliez. She wasn’t Lysithea by any means, but she was competent and had the potential to grow.

“Hubert, hey I’m glad I got a hold of you. I need you to swing by.” Her voice was low, as though she were whispering. 

“Is everything alright? Is Bernie alright?”

Leonie took a deep breath. “I gotta be honest with you and say no, she’s not okay.” Hubert felt as though his insides slammed together. He felt his spine tingling in the worst possible way. “I know you’re at work, but...”

“I’ll be on my way shortly.” He hung up.

“My apologies but it appears I have a personal emergency on my hands. Ladislava, you’re in charge.”

“Got it, boss.”

Hubert grabbed his car keys and punched out. As he drove to Bernadetta’s place. He thought of the strange text she sent him. What was she sorry for? Why was she so sorry? And what did she want to speak to him about? 

Something had happened, that much was certain. Something terrible, especially in regards to the tone of voice Leonie was using. She was usually so carefree and nonchalant when she spoke. This time she sounded somber and serious.

And it was confirmed when he had arrived and saw the door to her porch was wide open, not to mention a few police cars and one ambulance. Hubert’s blood ran cold. _Bernadetta!_ He couldn’t stay cool. Not if his beloved was hurt like this. Hubert didn’t care about locking the car or even closing the doors as he entered.

Inside, there were police everywhere and an EMT who appeared to be taking her vital signs on the couch where Bernadetta was curled into. She hadn’t noticed his arrival.

“Who are you?” one of the policemen asked. 

“My name is Hubert von Vestra. I work for Edelgard von Hresvelg and I am Bernadetta’s significant other,” he motioned towards her.

“He’s cool,” Leonie said. “Listen, there’s been an incident. It’s kind of hard to explain, but Bernie’s really shaken up by it.” 

He watched Bernadetta as her pulse was taken. There was an ice pack placed on one of her arms. “She was attacked,” he said. It wasn’t a question. Hubert crossed his arms, his fingers digging through the fabric of his suit and pinching his skin. 

“Yeah, uh, she’s not on good terms with her father and...well, for lack of a better phrase, he came after her. I really shouldn’t be the one to tell you this. It’s her story, but you’re important to her and...”

He never took his eyes off his girlfriend. She began to sob. “Bernadetta.” He strode over to where she sat, where he attempted to hold her. 

“I advise against doing that,” the EMT said. “She’s bruised but otherwise fine. The worst she’s experiencing is shock. She has low blood pressure, cold skin, a weak pulse...”

“Hubert?” she asked. 

Hubert had no idea what else to say. “It’s me.” She barely noticed him despite having said his name. She was completely gone.

“We’re going to file a restraining order,” Leonie said, “Against her sperm donor and all of the men who tried to kidnap her.” _Men? There was more than one?_

This was worse than what Hubert could have imagined. “Men? Did I hear that correctly?” _I'm going to kill them all. I will make them pay._

Leonie nodded. “She fought them all off, but it took a toll on her.” Leonie walked over to her friend. “Hey Bernie, I’m really proud of you, you know? You’re a badass.”

She said nothing. Instead she stared into space. 

“I’ll have to tell her later when she feels better.”

“She sent me quite an odd text, apologizing for something,” he said. 

“Let me check the timestamp.” He lent her his phone. “Yeah, that lines up.” Hubert saw the police taking pictures of the scene. One had come down from her room. That was enough of him assessing the situation. He needed to know what was next.

“What now?’ he asked Leonie. 

“Can you take her with you? I can’t imagine she’d want to stay here after facing all that. Not to mention, her room is completely destroyed. And she trusts you. It’s just for a few days until this is all fully dealt with.”

“I’ll gather her belongings. May I come upstairs now?” he asked the police. 

“Go right ahead.”

When he entered her room, it was a complete mess and utter disaster. To say it was as though a hurricane and a tornado had traipsed through her room was an understatement. Hubert grabbed her bag and grabbed as many important things as possible. Now wasn’t really the time to focus on the mess and the damage. What mattered was getting Bernadetta out of here and somewhere where she could recover from her shock. He made sure to take her bear and her hedgehog with him. 

“Is she free to go?” Hubert asked. 

“Her blood pressure’s since dropped, so yeah.”

“Please tell me what I need to do so she can recover,” he told the EMT. 

“For now she needs to go somewhere safe. Make sure she doesn’t stay numb. If she wants to talk about what happened, let her and do not interrupt. It’s important she feels sensation in her body.”

“Understood.” He bent over to Bernadetta and offered his hand to her. To his surprise she took it. “Here’s your bear. Take him.” He offered her the bear as he escorted her out. “We’ll stay in contact, Leonie,” he said before leaving as she finished her statement to the police. 

Bernadetta was silent the entire way home. She held her bear tightly as though her life depended on it. 

Hubert normally hated when he had to lower the thermostat, but tonight, and possibly for the foreseeable future, he had to make an exception for her. “You’re safe, Bernadetta.” He guided her to the bed. “Nothing will happen to you here.” Night still hadn’t fallen and he monitored her constantly. Her breathing had returned to normal and her body was considerably warmer.

He didn’t get an answer out of her and he wasn’t expecting one, anyway. He grabbed his phone and began to research the ways he could help his girlfriend recover from her shock.

Touching her was a no-go, except when he offered, she had accepted. He had to monitor her breathing and if needed, engage in breathing exercises. But he also had to give her space so she could sort it out for herself. In the meantime, he would make her food and try to ensure everything surrounding her would be alright. He wasn’t any good at this, but he would do his best.

“Bernadetta, would you like me to leave? A simple nod or shake will do.”

Bernadetta’s eyes, her unusually and abnormally empty eyes, met his and she nodded. 

“Very well, then. I will make dinner for us.” He kept the door open, in case she wanted to leave. He hoped she didn’t lock the door. He didn’t think she would hurt herself but at the same time he wanted to keep a close eye on her. 

While he cooked his cabbage and herring stew, he took out his phone and called Edelgard. She picked up on the second ring. “Hubert? I heard you left work an hour early. That’s unprecedented. Ladislava said you had ‘a personal emergency’.”

“It’s regarding Bernie. I’m afraid I will be out of commission for the next day. I need you to do me a favor. There’s been a group of men taken to the station for a break-in and attempted kidnapping. I need all of the information on them as soon as possible. Not to mention the situation with Varley became an unprecedented disaster. I ought to be receiving data from my contacts…” Hubert placed his hand on his forehead. 

“A disaster with Varley?” Edelgard asked.

“Shit,” he said, letting out a rare curse. He had only remembered about the Varley incident just now. Edelgard didn’t know. “I ought to give you the explanation, then.” He told her everything regarding the spies being discovered and let go and then what he knew about his girlfriend being attacked by her father and his men. 

“That’s terrible. I knew I didn’t like the man, but…” Edelgard was speechless. 

“Can you please do me a favor and keep tabs on Mrs. Varley? I am concerned about her. I would do so right now, but Bernie is my greatest priority at this moment.”

“Of course. I will keep you updated. You had something of a kinship with Mrs. Varley, didn’t you?”

Despite his getting along with Mrs. Varley, everything concerning her husband and what happened to Bernadetta, Hubert knew now that there was a connection. This was too coincidental. 

But Bernadetta would have to tell him in her own time.

Hubert hated the idea of eating in bed, but for the first time in his life, he would have to make a special exception for Bernadetta. “I have your food ready.” He placed the steaming plate on the nightstand. She was holding her bear as if her life depended on it. She looked at the food and barely registered it was there. “May I press a hand to your forehead?”

She nodded. 

He sighed in relief. “At least you’re not sweating and your skin feels warm. That’s good.” He retracted his hand and crossed his arms. “If you need me I’ll be out in the living area.”

As Hubert left the room, he could have sworn Bernadetta said the softest of “thank yous”, but he was so desperate for her to smile again, he thought perhaps he was hearing things. Hubert rarely felt fear, but for the first time in ages, he now had a genuine fear that he would never see her smile again. 

*

Hubert couldn’t sleep that night. He tossed and turned on his couch. It was large, but he was forced to lie in a fetal position lest his feet would stick out. The couch was leather and he had to use two blankets so he could drown out the squeaks it would make whenever he tossed and turned, but they did little to help. He also had to be conscious of not falling over. 

Overall, it was an unpleasant experience. 

But all of that dwarfed in comparison to his concerns over Bernadetta. 

What felt like every few minutes, he would check on her, watching her as she, too, was in a fetal position on one side of the bed, the side she usually took whenever they slept side-by-side, with her bear in her arms. She had also taken a hold of Peony and Bertram. The first time he checked on her, he was relieved to have seen her dish was nearly empty and he took it away from his nightstand so she wouldn’t accidentally hit it and cause further mental turmoil from her. He was glad she had eaten something and come morning he would place a plate on his nightstand with breakfast.

Other than that depressingly bright moment of the night, Hubert was plagued by the darkness. He wondered just what did Bernadetta do to fend off her attackers? Just how much and for how long did she put on a brave face until she broke? What did her father say or do to her? Both yesterday and before?

And that question presented other ones as well. He also needed to ensure Mrs. Varley was safe, but he couldn’t leave Bernadetta here by herself— Not at least until she was feeling better. Hubert wanted to at least ensure that. 

Hubert lived off coffee the following day as the reports started to come from his contacts. Bernadetta rested in his bed while he drank his coffee and carefully read their notes. 

  * **V is known to stop in mines and idles.**



  * **Smoke seeps through and V and workers do nothing until there are fires. Already there have been workplace related deaths with low working compensation for families. Expect a high rise in smoke related deaths in the future.**


  * **Emission controls numbers are tampered with. Situation is far worse than imagined.**


  * **Improper treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes is being in effect. This has caused problems.**


  * **Various reports are falsified.**


  * **V threatens those who are aware so they won’t report environmental violations in various ways.**



Hubert didn’t need to read any more of this. They would have to get the lawyers ready for this one. There had to be a whistleblower for this and they had to come out soon. 

He called his contact. 

“My apologies again for my reaction to your firing. I require you to stay where you are and rally all of those who are aware of the workplace and environmental violations.”

“Yes, Mr. von Vestra. I will do that. Anything else?”

“Gather up their names and CC Edelgard von Hresvelg in the email. We might need them for further questioning.”

“Understood.”

Hubert checked on Bernadetta again. He caught her eating this time. He wanted to kiss the top of her head and tell her everything would be all right again, that he would take care of it all and take care of her as long as she needed. 

“You’re eating. I’m glad. Is breakfast any good?”

She nodded. “Uh-huh. Thanks.”

“I’ll leave you to it. I didn’t know whether there were books you would have preferred I bring but if nothing I brought is to your leisure, I have a rarely used bookshelf on my tablet for your perusal. Or you may choose to spend it on a game. My credit card details are there.” He knew she wouldn’t go wild with it but right now, he wouldn’t have minded. 

The other report had come in during the early afternoon. What he had gotten was worse than the last one. 

  * **Wife of V has two personalities. One when away from V one with him.**
  * **Differences are stark**


  * **Wife of V agrees to everything when with him.**


  * **Finances are heavily watched and he keeps close watch on her. Seems to have informants of his own. She has recently wrestled for control of the situation causing their loss of wealth. They are still one of the richest families in the country but have significantly less gains.**


  * **Wife is often away taking ice baths. She covers up skin even during the sweltering heat. She cowers away when V yells. Signs of physical abuse are present.**


  * **There are rooms that are locked in the house. There are also signs there was an offspring but no word is mentioned. Older staff aren’t allowed to talk about the child when inquired.**


  * **Child is either deceased or has left the family. Their status is unknown.**


  * **Attitude of wife changes after recent trip back; husband takes notice**



Hubert was interrupted by a phone call. Hubert saw the caller was none other than Lysithea. “Hardass!” Her shrill voice was the loudest thing he had heard since being trapped in the dead of silence.

“Yes?”

“I heard about what happened through Leonie. Is Bernie feeling better?”

Considering it was only just yesterday, she clearly wasn’t. “Unfortunately, no.”

“I thought so. I’m coming over after work. What’s your address?”

“Berna—” Hubert nearly forgot himself. _How tired am I?_ “Bernie won’t even speak to me right now. And before you ask, I’ve given her more than enough space. She is in dire need of it right now.”

“That’s not it! Let me speak! I actually can’t believe I’m using my break time to talk to _you_! I use it to get away from you. No listen. Leonie and I are going to go shopping after work. She knows a lot of Bernie’s favorite foods and we’re going to pitch in. I just need your address so we can drop them at your place.”

Hubert felt touched by the gesture. “She would appreciate that, Lysithea. Of course. Are you ready for the address? Of course you’ll need to enter the lobby and speak to the security guard…”

A couple of hours later, Lysithea and Leonie were in the lobby, holding bags of groceries. Hubert didn’t want to leave Bernadetta alone for too long. “How is she?” Leonie asked. 

“She hasn’t said more than three words to me today.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to work again tomorrow?” Lysithea asked. 

“Not until she feels better. I am not in danger of losing my position. I have months of paid time off days and sick days at my disposal.” Hubert had never taken a personal day off before. He didn’t know what to do with his free time, and now that he finally had an idea of how he could take a potential vacation, the person he wanted to spend it with was out of commission. 

“Of course you do,” Lysithea said. “The office was so happy not to have you around for a day.”

Hubert knew his presence wouldn’t be missed much. He knew he was a strict and demanding boss. At worst he was mean. He thought about Varley, the man who was all but stated to be Bernadetta’s father if his thoughts were correct. Varley actively abused his employees and put them in danger. Even when Hubert was at his worst, he was doing it so that Edelgard could hold onto her cause, for the good of Adrestia. 

“But the office without you is going to be terrible if you’re gone for too long,” Lysithea said. “You’re the only one around that forces us to get shit done.”

“I know,” Hubert said. “Bernadetta’s health and well-being are important to me.” He took the bags from Leonie. “I lo…” Hubert realized he was about to have another gaffe again. He was used to not sleeping and stressing out, but this was taking a toll on him even more.

“I get what you’re trying to say, Hubert,” Leonie said. Hubert saw the ghost of a smile on her face. “You think she’s worth taking the days off from work.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Oh!” Lysithea said. “Once, I had to take a day off from my internship to take care of Cyril when he got sick. It was awful seeing him like that! He had all of—”

“Hubert probably doesn’t want to hear that, Lys,” Leonie said. “Besides that ice cream’ll melt if we just stay here and talk forever but I think you understand now why Hubert’s doing this.”

“Of course I do! He’s in love with her! It’s obvious to anyone who can see it!” Hubert felt heat rush to his face. He had never heard someone state his feelings for Bernadetta out loud. 

“You embarrassed him, but yeah, pretty much.”

“I’m sure Bernie will appreciate these gifts,” he said. He bowed, trying not to let the heavy groceries outweigh his shoulders. 

“Oh, and Hubert?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure you take care of yourself. You look more ragged than I’ve seen you before.”

As Hubert went up the elevator, all he could think about how it was more important to ensure Bernadetta was feeling better. She was the most important person in his life. 

It turned out Leonie and Lysithea weren’t afraid to assemble a list for her and it turned out that it was enough to fully stock his fridge and cabinets. There was enough food to last for the rest of the week, and possibly beyond. 

He saw Bernadetta reading something on his personal tablet, her eyes still glazed over. He had initially bought it at Edelgard’s suggestion for leisure, but it ended up being rarely used as he prefered reading physical books, straight off the page. 

At least she was doing something other than stare at the walls. To him, it was all that mattered. 

His phone rang later that evening. It was Edelgard. “Yes? What is it?”

“I’m able to report that yes, it is Varley who was taken to the station yesterday on charges of attempted kidnapping, break-in, and assault, it wasn’t easy to get confirmation, but the police say it’ll only be a matter of time until the media gets a hold of this story.”

Then he _was_ her father. That was all he needed to know. But still, he wanted verbal confirmation from Bernadetta and to hear the account straight out of her mouth. “And what of his wife?”

“She’s as safe as can be and is being treated right now as we speak. I’m certain more charges will be pressed against him on that alone. I will handle things with Mrs. Valrey and pay her a visit at the first possible moment. You just keep watch on Bernie.” Edelgard paused. “Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe I can send Bernie a potted plant or a drawing notebook? Would she appreciate coloring books?”

“I’m sure she would,” Hubert said. “Please send them over when possible.” He peered into his room again. Her face was covered by a mass of frizzy violet hair as she read. He thought of himself, of Leonie and Lysithea, and of Edelgard.

_My dearest Bernadetta, it is my deepest wish, that you are aware that you are loved. I want you to know that, and that it shall lead to your recovery._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to leave y'all hanging but I will not update this story until the 2nd full week of May (possibly the 13th or 14th, also to note, my mother's gotten a lot better with the virus thank goodness). The reason for that is because I'm uploading new oneshots for Hubernie week so please look forward to that! I have, as of now, 5 of the prompts complete in my drafts and waiting for final edits/subsequent readthroughs.
> 
> EDIT: Here's a really evocative piece of Bernadetta fighting! I believe in her! Thank you for making this! It's absolutely wonderful! https://twitter.com/katotheberry/status/1256746862280933378?s=20


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert contends with the aftermath of what happened to Bernadetta. A Hubert centric chapter. Part 2 of 2.

The days began to bleed into each other. Hubert left Bernadetta to her own devices so she could have the space she needed to sort through this entire ordeal, and did so for the day after...and the day after that. He knew Varley was on the news thanks to his arrest and due to his status and the constant stream of whistleblowers after whistleblowers, he would remain in the news for some time. He read all of the texts from Edelgard, but refused to turn on the TV or check the story out online. He also checked in with her on the progress regarding Mrs. Varley's condition, which was quickly and steadily improving. She had already wanted to go back home and work, which to Hubert, made perfect sense regarding her character.

He heard Bernadetta sobbing in his room five days after what happened. It was the middle of the night. Hubert was now on his fifth day without sleeping properly, of keeping his vigil. 

Hubert hadn’t cried in years. Not since his mother died. When her calming presence, her words of love and affirmation were fully gone from his life. Hubert thought he’d never find that constant spark in his life, not until he got to know Bernadetta. But as he heard her sob in his room, he felt a headache coming on. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he saw Bernadetta standing in front of him. If it weren’t for her sniffles, he would have thought she was an apparition, the ghost of Hubert’s weary mind cracking. 

“Hubert…” Her hand found his. “Come to bed with me. _Please_.” Her voice was but a whisper, a small voice pleading for help. Help Hubert more than wanted to give if she wanted, when she wanted, no questions asked. Her “please” was so pained, almost a whimper and Hubert knew he had to be there for her, no questions asked. 

“As you wish,” he said, taking her hand, her small hand, which fit perfectly inside his. 

She was now curled up in front of him. Memories of her teasing him in the cutest way about being a good little spoon wormed their way into his brain. Hubert hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the back of her head like he always did before falling asleep, feeling relieved she was warm. He finally felt some semblance of sleepiness for the first time since he brought her here to safety. 

_I missed you, Bernadetta. I missed you very much._ Hubert never thought he could ever miss someone who was just feet away from him, the sheer notion of that was ridiculous, but he was now past the point of questioning anything regarding his feelings for her. They just were. 

With Bernadetta turned away, Hubert allowed himself to give into the sanctity of his emotions and let out the tears he had been holding back.

Bernadetta was still quiet the next day when they woke up, although she was eating more. He had told her about the ice cream in his fridge and she ate it while watching cat videos on his tablet. He saw some of her usual pink color return to her face. He still felt as though he needed to keep his distance from her until she was feeling better, even though she was showing signs she was.

That didn’t stop Hubert from still feeling stressed beyond his mind. Especially since he spent his days arguing with the lawyer through Edelgard. It was some haughty law school rich boy who said his name every five seconds, Hubert couldn't care less about who he was as long as he did his job correctly.

Hubert had enough of coffee. It wasn’t doing him any good. And neither was constantly working through the shadows. It was good he was getting things done, but him being overtly on top of the matter wasn’t going to accelerate things in regards to the way they were going. 

He thought about what Leonie said to him days ago about taking care of himself. It didn’t take a genius to see that his eyes already had worsening bags under them and there was stubble on his chin and neck. No amount of coffee now could halt the lethargy he felt.

Hubert thought of the ways he coped with previous catastrophes, the most recent being his mother’s passing and her entire illness. He crossed his arms, staring at the piano. It was his way of letting loose once upon a time. Of coping with his father’s demands of being the perfect student, the perfect son and the swift punishments he’d have to endure whenever he wasn’t. Of coping with the fact that he only had one friend his entire life, having the belief that everyone around him was inherently bad and out to undermine his and Edelgard’s goals. Aside from Edelgard herself, none of his peers liked him anyway and at best, he was tolerated. He was admittedly lonely in those times and for years to come. 

The only time he felt accepted and wanted was when he got to know Bernadetta and now she was despondent. Hubert admitted he too, felt the loneliness and pain come back in full force, worse than ever. He never wanted to feel this way again.

Hubert took decisive steps towards the piano and sat on the bench, remembering the time when he could barely hold his breath as he sat just inches away from Bernadetta. How overwhelmed and overcome with emotion he felt the entire time. How he had restrained himself when Bernadetta called him beautiful and the way she explored him and he did in turn. 

The moment in itself was vibrant and beautiful but now Hubert felt listless and gray. He had felt this way before but knowing what this pain felt like, he almost wondered if it were better to have remained ignorant instead of experiencing the pain of seeing someone he loved suffer. 

It wasn’t his favorite song by any means but he often took it as a challenge whenever he played. Perhaps it was stupid to try playing _A Funeral of Flowers_ but Hubert wanted to at least try, especially with the different ways the piece went. 

Hubert recalled having been much better at playing this piece. His fingers kept stumbling and he would play the wrong note. He was completely out of practice and questioned if he probably should have chosen another composition to try. 

Hubert stopped, blankly staring at the keys. 

He slowed the pace down considerably. The piece sampled another classic song, _Guardian of Starlight_ , which at a slower pace would be an entirely different song, but Hubert wanted to keep going, to let out as much as possible. Hubert needed something complex, something intense yet fragile, something _somber_ to express how he was feeling and the way Bernadetta must have been feeling. 

His emotions were catching up to him, and Hubert allowed them to take over. They were no longer something he wanted to fight against. They were now a part of him and he embraced them. Music was a way for him to have that outlet, to become one with the song and show what he was feeling and he was…

Hubert stopped playing. He turned his head and found Bernadetta in her nightwear standing a few feet away. She was watching him intently and gasped when their eyes met. 

“You can come over here, if you’d like,” he said. 

“Can I?” she asked. 

“You’re always welcome to.” She sat next to him on the bench and leaned into him. Hubert’s hands rested on her hair, stroking strands of it. Her hair was stringy and he could feel the grease on his fingers. He felt self-conscious all of a sudden knowing that his own hair was easily in this state, even though he kept a strict schedule and maintained as much upkeep as possible, yet he couldn’t fight his own genes. “Do you want me to play something?”

Bernadetta snuggled into his side, but after a minute, he heard her sniffling. “I’m sorry, Hubert. I’m so sorry.”

Those were the exact words she used in the very last text message she had written him as she was being attacked. “Don’t be sorry. You have no reason to apologize for anything.” He gently pushed her away so he could get a full look of her face. Even with her tear stained face, the bags under her eyes, and that frown, Hubert found her to be breathtaking.

With one hand, he cupped her cheek. Her eyes were wide from his gesture. Hubert leaned into her, his lips brushing against hers. Much to his surprise, she kissed him back before he pulled away. She was so soft. 

“Hubert…” She hugged him, her arms wrapping over his chest. “Why are you so nice to me? Even when I’ve lied to you and didn’t tell you anything about me or my life or...oh no! And you’ve been here the whole time? How long has it been now….oh no...oh no! You’ve missed work because of me and now Edelgard is probably mad at me and she’s going to fire you and you’re going to be homel—”

“Bernadetta,” he said, shushing her with as much affection as he could. His thumb ran alongside her cheek, catching any stray tears. “I’ve never taken a day off from work. My job security is guaranteed. I voluntarily took work off to care for you.”

“No! Why? Why would you waste your time on me?”

“Do you remember what you said to me, Bernadetta?” He knew she wouldn’t answer that question so he continued. “You would protect me from dangers such as great heights. Now is my turn to do that for you. To be the person you turn to when you need me most.” Hubert had hoped his message was loud and clear.

“Why?” 

The question was rhetorical, it clearly was. It was an answer Bernadetta wasn’t expecting. But Hubert, in his tired state, fell to his impulses, the very thing he had been fighting against since the moment he agreed to date Bernadetta. “It’s because I love you, Bernadetta.” 

Hubert sucked in a breath, now that the words were said. He hadn’t planned on saying it like this. He knew he would be the one to tell her and that he would do it sooner rather than later. Perhaps on a second weekend getaway. Maybe at the resort where he stayed with Edelgard where he would gather up champagne and watch the constellations somewhere. Or perhaps he’d take her back to the windmills. Or maybe it would have been once she wanted them to shed their clothes and let their bodies explore each other, he would hover above her, grab both of her hands, look her straight in her eyes and tell her those words before making love to her, making those moments just as powerful. But he had said those words now, in her lowest moments. It felt as though his words had created a vacuum, where no sound could come out.

Bernadetta went silent, her eyes wider than he’d ever seen and her mouth open. Hubert couldn’t bring himself to chastise his own impulses. There was nothing he could do now. Except tell her this. “I don’t expect an answer from you. Please don’t feel obligated to respond in any way. I want you to know you’re loved and will always be loved.”

Bernadetta finally spoke. “I should tell you because after this, you’ll see how awful I am for lying to you, for keeping everything from you and that saying you’re...you’re in love with me is all wrong. I was going to tell you, but I was too scared and...and…” she paused to sniff, “Can I please tell you everything?”

“Of course.”

“My name is Bernadetta von Varley, but you probably figured that out already.” He did. He long suspected there was a connection between her and that couple. “The woman you introduced me to at the ball is my mother. It’s funny right? Your boyfriend introducing you to your mother two years after you having seen her last. It’s ironic.” Hubert wanted to tell her he had an affinity for the ironic, but knew it was important to hold his tongue and _listen_. “I...just stood there and lied to you, straight to your face. Who does that?

“I don’t know where to begin as to why I lied to you, but my father...he’s obsessed with money. He's only ever seen me as bait for a rich husband. To train me to be a good, submissive wife, he'd do things like tie me to a chair and leave me there all day, challenging me to stay quiet. I tried hard to do as he asked. Honestly, I did. And…”

Hubert legitimately couldn’t say anything as she went on. All he could do was recoil in disgust. This beautiful, perfect girl sitting beside him endured something absolutely no one should have ever endured. Hubert knew his experiences with his father wasn’t exactly sunshine and flowers, but that was nowhere near the level of depraved Bernadetta’s father was. 

“Just after that everything was overwhelming. I was scared all the time. Of everything and everyone. No matter how hard I tried, my father never thought I was good enough. After that, it was just constant scolding. He couldn't say two words to me without mentioning how useless I was. An unmarriageable girl.” Hubert clammed up at the thought. Unmarriageable...Hubert purposely strayed his thoughts away from that topic, but Bernadetta...she was someone he loved, someone he could seriously spend the rest of his life with if...if… “He stopped when I was eighteen and I convinced him college was important. He lost interest and backed off from trying to marry me off. And then the wildfires started to happen. I had to finish up school and meet men again. He actually found me a fiancé and he seemed okay at first. He was handsome and rich and seemed friendly enough. But the second we were alone together, he...he wasn’t so nice either. He did something...He touched me in a way when I said no...and…

“I was scared, I was so scared that I would marry someone who was like my father. Someone who would knock me around and...I grew up seeing the way my father treated my mother. I didn’t want that life. I couldn’t keep doing it. So I pushed aside my fears and left. My mother knew and she helped me, even, I wasn’t Bernadetta von Varley anymore...just Bernie. I was out here in the big scary world and you know, it wasn’t so bad. I met Leonie and the girls and then about two years in, I met you. I became really happy, you know? 

"I still have nightmares about everything. And I was scared that any time anyone opened the door, it would be his men. That they’d track me down and force me back. I knew what I did would upset him. That he would go after me for slighting him. Because after all, I’m just meek Bernadetta von Varley. I’m supposed to obey my father and be a good girl.” She shook her head. 

Everything finally made sense. All of the pieces Hubert found now fit clearly. Why she had fainted the first time they met and insisted he had come to take her away. Why she was so quick to insult herself, calling herself stupid, and especially unmarriageable. Why she was so quick to dismiss her talents and everything positive about her. Why she was so paranoid and oftentimes came to the wrong conclusion about people hating her without any discernible evidence.

“I didn’t know, no, I couldn’t imagine he would show up with his men. Really shows how badly I angered him. He said everything I didn’t want to hear, and I mean everything. That I’m selfish. That I humiliated him and my family. That I cost everyone so much money. He makes it seem as though the wildfires were my fault. As though I set them off in the confines of my room. It was just a laundry list of everything. Words I hadn’t heard in years being said to my face. And he knew about us and said even more horrible things. And that you sent spies. But seeing him, him bringing his men and hauling me away, nothing paled in comparison to the fact that he was using my mother as leverage. That if I came willingly, my mother would be freed. Who does that to their wife? The person they’re supposed to spend the rest of their life with?”

Hubert was thoroughly disgusted. If this wasn’t a world with advanced technology and such concrete laws, Hubert would have found this man, taken him into a basement or somewhere abandoned and given him a worse punishment than what he forced his daughter and wife through. And then finally, he would kill him like the scourge he was. Men like him did nothing good by wasting space and hurting others. 

“Hubert...I just need to know...is my mother okay?”

“She’s recovering, too, right now,” he said. “She’s currently being cared for at a hospital but she’s expected to make a full recovery. She’s there mostly for questioning, and at my insistence.”

“Th-thanks. I want to see her.”

“You will, when the two of you are better.” His hand found hers.

Bernadetta gasped. “Wait, you’re not mad at me?”

“No, I’m not mad at you. I understand why you wouldn’t tell me, or anyone, of your identity and past. That would take trust. And your life, well, it hasn’t been easy, has it?”

Bernadetta shook her head. 

“I still love you, even after all that. In fact, I can’t help but love you more. You’re the bravest woman I know.” He took her hand and brought it up to his lips. “Bernadetta…” He let go of her hand and walked over to the bookshelf he kept in his bedroom, grabbing the composition book. “When you open this, you’ll understand. I must admit, it’s far too sentimental to my liking, and I never imagined this would be read by another pair of eyes, but the situation is warranted.”

She opened the book. “‘Things I love about Bernie…’” She hiccuped. “I…” She hiccuped again. Hubert began to feel embarrassed. 

“You should read it alone. I am admittedly too sheepish to see you read the book.”

“O-okay.” Bernadetta closed the book and kept it close to her chest. “I’m going to go read it now.”

Hubert held his breath until she walked into his bedroom, now out of sight.

He said it. He said he loved her. He could hardly believe he did that.

Hubert knew he wouldn’t get an answer out of her, and that was okay. That didn't change the fact that he would gladly give his life for her, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a really short supplemental chapter that comes after this (I bet you can guess what based on the ending of this chapter). I'll upload it on Thursday so keep an eye out for it!
> 
> Also here's an awesome art piece of Hubert playing the piano as he finds a way to vent out his frustrations: https://twitter.com/katotheberry/status/1265690832813916160?s=20


	28. Chapter 28/The Bernie Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta reads the composition book Hubert wrote in.

Bernadetta sat down on Hubert’s bed. Her face was damp as she wiped her tear-stained face with one hand and opened the notebook. It was written in Hubert’s familiar, neat script and she took in a deep breath. The title alone made the tears begin anew.

While trying to steady herself, Bernadetta observed Hubert’s handwriting. The way his words were so spaced together, much like hers, but there were distinct details in his writing that were very Hubert-like, such as the way he would slash the dots in his i’s and how pointed his lettering was. It contrasted so greatly with the content she had barely begun to read. Bernadetta took another deep breath, steeled herself, and began to read. 

* * *

**Things I Love About Bernie:**

  * **Her boundless creativity. She crafts with innovation and shows true artistry.**


  * **She works on all of her creations meticulously and with care. Her attention to detail and talent shows her passion and adoration. It doesn’t matter how timely she works on her creations but rather that she puts her body and soul into them. When I wear my suits and my flowers, I carry a piece of her with me at all times.**


  * **Bernie possesses outer beauty, but her inner beauty and vibrancy is what stands out.**


  * **Her ability to be generous with her creations. She may be a recluse, but her generosity shows no bounds.**


  * **Her daily messages asking me how I’m doing. I’m looked after. It’s a feeling I never was able to recognize. I strive to do the same with her.**


  * **Her emoticons and her expressive texts.**


  * **The way she’s emotionally expressive in person, especially when she speaks. Her eyes show a soul worth knowing.**


  * **The stories she tells when she comes home from her travels.**


  * **Her odd and unusual taste in things. Her eccentricity and quirks. She would watch a movie about a woman falling in love with a monster and find the experience rewarding.**


  * **Her vast knowledge of carnivorous plants, the passion she sets on display whenever she talks about them.**


  * **The feeling of her in my arms.**


  * **Her laughter.**


  * **Coffee cakes.**


  * **Her cooking and her subsequent determination to ensure that I’ll enjoy her meals, or conversely, we’ll enjoy them together.**


  * **I can discover who I am around her.**


  * **Every day feels like a new adventure with Bernie. Every date, every moment, feels as though I’ll discover something new, feel something I’d never thought I’d feel.**


  * **Conversations together are endless and fruitful.**


  * **When we don’t converse, we say everything by saying nothing at all.**


  * **When her eyes pierce into my soul.**


  * **Her promise to protect me from lofty heights.**


  * **Walking in and watching Bernadetta shining alongside Edelgard and their newfound friendship.**


  * **Time always seems to simultaneously slow down and speed up when we’re together.**


  * **Going to events is no longer a chore when we’re together.**


  * **Her support, which comes in various and unexpected ways. From having conversations with others, to helping with groceries. If the time were to come I would give Bernie the support she would require, if she deems me worthy enough.**


  * **The way that her creativity is useful to any applied situation.**


  * **The way we match now whenever we’re together with our flowers.**


  * **Her reactions to my ridiculous names for her.**


  * **She thinks _I’m_ beautiful. I can hardly comprehend the notion. I feel loved and looked after in a way that is unmatched. **


  * **My thawed heart beats whenever she’s around.**


  * **Her kisses. All of them. Short ones. Long ones. The feeling I get when we kiss. The feeling of certainty that sometimes terrifies me at times.**


  * **Her reactions to my hand kisses. Or the ones I give to the top of her head.**


  * **Her reactions to my surprises.**


  * **The surprises she gives me in return.**


  * **The way she embraces me.**


  * **When she wraps a blanket around us so we can share.**


  * **Sleeping together. The way she feels at night or when we nap.**


  * **The way the sunlight shows how spectacular she looks during the early dawn.**


  * **I don’t require coffee when I’m with her.**


  * **Her ability to understand and empathize with any situation.**


  * **She remembers the things I enjoy.**


  * **Her ability to fight through what makes her anxious (such as crowds in particular) and her ability to inform me if it’s too much for her. Rather, if she would prefer an “indoors day” or an “outdoors day”.**


  * **Conversely, when she sets aside all fears and explores new things, I know she is unstoppable.**


  * **Bernadetta’s way of charming everyone she speaks to. Her soft nature delights everyone.**


  * **The delightful shine in her eyes when she explores new places and makes a new discovery.**


  * **The way that I can never anticipate how things will go with her, ergo she'll surprise me in the best of ways.**


  * **Her willingness to listen to my mundane topics of conversation and contribute.**


  * **Her teasing.**


  * **The reactions she gives to my teasing. She's my tulip thief. My butterwort. My Bernadetta.**


  * **I spend every day thinking of when we meet and what we’ll do next. She is my first thought of the day and the final thoughts before I fall asleep. I can’t stop thinking about her. I’ve gone past the point of questioning if I’ve fallen in love with her but I can’t bring myself to stop writing these words down, even if they are long-loathed sentimentalities. I _know_ and am fully aware that I am in love with Bernadetta. Of this I am absolutely certain. **




	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Hubert's help, Bernadetta sows the seeds of recovery. A Bernadetta centric chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't quite decided if I'm splitting up ch 30 yet. If I don't, then this will have 32 chapters, including the epilogue. If I do, it'll be 33. It's why I haven't put the ending marker yet, in case y'all wanted to know. The last time I did that was preemptive and I ended up writing 2 more chapters so I didn't want to make that mistake again.

_ 2 Years Ago _

Bernadetta had the roughest day since she left home almost three months ago. She couldn’t take it anymore, but her job at the bakery was her best source of income. 

And she just quit. Like it wasn’t her livelihood or anything.  _ Stupid! Idiot! Worthless Bernie! Always quitting and not thinking things through! _

She needed that job so she could purchase her materials for sewing because her art commissions weren’t the only way she’d have to make income. In order to have a solid living, you needed to work hard and Bernadetta worked as hard as she possibly could.

And it wasn’t like she had references, either. She barely spoke to anyone who ever worked there.  _ Bernie’s such a loser!  _ There was no way she’d afford rent for the next month over at the hole in the wall where she lived. 

But today was Thursday, when she had impulsively signed up for defense classes offered at a dirt cheap price. Too bad this would have to be her last one now that she lost a crucial part of her income. She really wanted to know how she could fight off her father (or her fiancé or  _ anyone _ ) if the time ever came for it.

“Hey, your punch is pretty off. I’m pretty sure I told you to keep your thumb out of the inside of your hand,” her instructor said. She got right behind her and lifted Bernadetta’s arms, holding them up into a punch position.

“Th-thanks! Bernie’s so useless.”

“It’s no problem. This isn’t easy stuff. I mean, look at my friend over there.” She gestured to a pink haired girl giving it her all. There was a fierce look in her eyes as she punched away. She could have easily instructed the class. “You wouldn’t think it, but she didn’t want to take this class. ‘I’m a young, fragile, delicate maiden!’” she said in a high pitched voice, batting her eyes for effect. “I bet you in a few months, you’ll be just as fierce as her. You’re still pretty new so don't sweat it.”

Bernadetta understood where she was coming from with her pep talk, but she only frowned from it. “I’m sorry, but this is actually the last one I’m taking. I can’t really afford it anymore.”

The instructor’s face fell. “That’s a shame. Do you want to talk about it after this?”

“Um, sure?” 

Bernadetta thought it would be just her and her instructor, but instead, she was having ice cream with her and three other girls, including the pink haired girl with the fierce eyes, although now they didn’t look so fierce anymore.

“This is um…” 

“Um, you can call me Bernie. Or whatever you want to.”

The girls all said their hellos. Bernadetta wanted to run and hide. Especially when her instructor, Leonie, offered her a free ice cream. Why was she being so nice? 

“Are you from here? By the way, I'm Hilda!” the pink haired girl said. “That right here is my roommate, Marianne. She’s just as shy as you are!”

“Hi,” Marianne said.

“No...I’m from the um, mountains.”

“We’re all from the Alliance,” the smallest of them said. “My name’s Lysithea. It’s funny how we finally added an Adrestian to our ranks. And you seem to like ice cream too.”

“Lysithea’s a picky eater so all we ever do is go out of ice cream and cakes,” Leonie said. “Sometimes it feels like we’re hanging out with a ten year—”

“Don’t you fucking dare, Leonie.”

“Lysithea always feels terrible about being the youngest one here. She skipped a couple of grades in school, so when we call her our baby, she gets really angry. But it’s cute!” Hilda said.

Lysithea was fuming. Bernadetta giggled a little bit. So did Marianne. Their gazes locked and they giggled some more.

Afterwards, the girls had left. Lysithea was being picked up by her boyfriend, a friendly Almyran boy. Hilda and Marianne took a train home, which they said wasn’t too long despite it being all the way in the Alliance itself. Bernadetta wondered how they did it. Now it was just her and Leonie.

“You look a little better,” Leonie said. “I’m sorry that all happened to you.”

“I brought it on myself. I quit my job without thinking about all the problems that would create.”

“They were probably really shitty anyway. A lot of jobs are super shitty. That’s why I always have like a dozen of them and I always barely make enough for my rent.”

“Me too. I mean, I also have more than one job, I do um, sewing commissions and art stuff.”

“Oh that’s pretty neat.” Leonie gazed at her. “I know this is really out there for me to ask and I’ve known you for a few weeks but do you wanna crash at my place? It’s pretty big if you can ignore the bad neighborhood and you’d get a floor of your own. Lysithea used to live with me for a little bit until she moved in with her boyfriend.”

Bernadetta wondered if she should say yes or no, but during the few weeks they had spoken, she was always so nice to her. “I can try. I’m probably not a good roommate. All I do is stay in my room and go out occasionally to um, cook things.”

Leonie laughed. “Are you kidding? You sound like a pretty great roommate to have!"

Bernadetta thought of the way Leonie fought and did her instructions in class. She thought of her as someone fast, someone fierce, and someone who seemed cool, but you didn’t want to mess with. She was like a hornet to her, charging hard and fast. Bernadetta wanted to be like that, instead of the mouse she was.

Bernadetta saw a hole in the girl’s sleeve. “I can try...And um, I can fix that for you.”

“Huh?”

“Your sleeve’s torn. I can fix it for you. I have a needle and thread on me.” They got inside her car.

“Well, if you're offering, by all means! Oh, I guess I should get this shirt off first though, huh?” Leonie began to take off her shirt before staring up the car.

Bernadetta couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “What?! Hold on— Don't— You can't just— Aaaah!”

* * *

_ Present Day _

After multiple read-throughs, until the moment where the words Hubert had written finally ingrained into her brain, Bernadetta set the book down, her tears still falling, no, practically cascading down her cheeks. Hubert loved her. He really loved her and he thought the world of her. 

She couldn’t believe she, ugly, unmarriageable Bernadetta had found someone who loved her. After all, he had supported her throughout this hellish week. He missed work for her and told her so easily that he loved her, as if it were as natural as breathing.

She sobbed into Captain Snufflekins, hugging him as if her life depended on it. He was always there to symbolize that once upon a time, someone other than her mother had loved Bernadetta unconditionally and wanted her to grow. 

Peony also was in the bed and she grabbed her as well. Peony was a visual representation of Hubert’s love for her as well. She kissed the hedgehog’s sleepy face and cuddled her close to her chest.

Hubert must have heard her sobs, because now he was at his doorway. It was only then when she noticed how truly haggard he looked. His eyes looked tired and weary, the bags under them were worse than ever and she could see the stubble on his chin and neck. He looked older like this. Like this ordeal had aged him and affected him as badly as it affected her. 

“Hubert,” she said, motioning him to sit next to her. 

He wordlessly complied, taking his place besides her. She curled up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.  _ Safe. I feel safe like this.  _

“How long have you been writing  _ The Bernie Book _ ?”

“ _ The Bernie Book _ ?” he asked. 

She sniffled. “I don’t know, it’s what I’m calling it now, I suppose.” He laughed after she said it. She laughed too. She supposed it was a cute name. 

His hands made idle motions across her back. “You’re so creative, even when you’re in this state.” He pulled her in tighter. “Well, to answer your question, I began about two months ago, it was—”

“That long ago?”

He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Yes, that long ago. It was after we had agreed on our, er, relationship status, but before Edelgard’s party. When I had told you about my prior feelings for Edelgard from years and years ago. I began to notice the vast differences between the way I was feeling then and now.”

“Oh.”

“It all felt different. More...tangible between us. I've never been much for feelings. It started off as means for me to discern if they were real. It was rather mortifying to write it at first. After all, they were never meant for other eyes to see.”

“So like a diary?”

“Er…” His loss for words proved she was right. Bernadetta laughed for what felt like the first time in ages. It felt good to laugh, despite how foreign it had felt. “I suppose. I never meant to tell you that now. Or to show you " _ The Bernie Book _ ", as you so aptly call it. Yet I’m afraid the situation was warranted.” Hubert took a deep breath. “Please, I implore you don’t feel the need to say a response to that, or to anything I’ve said this evening. I don’t want you to focus on my emotions, but rather, that you’re loved and supported.”

“I know.” She snuggled deeper into his chest. “Thank you.”

“It’s not just myself. Leonie and Lysithea have been showing up in the lobby with groceries, and Edelgard sent you the coloring book with the flowers. Some of your other friends had also paid for the meals and supplies as well. They too, want to see to it that you feel better.”

“Really?”

Hubert nodded. “Of course, butterwort. And they’ll all be ready to see you again whenever you’re ready. It doesn’t have to be now. It can be whenever you feel most comfortable.” 

“O-okay.” He moved back, taking her with him as they lay against the pillows. Bernadetta draped an arm around him. 

“I promise you this. You will never see your father again. Not as long as I can help it. And myself, Edelgard, and your mother. We’re working together to be rid of him.”

So now her mother’s attempts to get through to Edelgard must have worked. “She told me about you guys. She wanted to take him down. I was going to tell you then, but—” Bernadetta felt her pulse rising before Hubert had shushed her.

“It’s alright.”

“Do you really mean it? You mean to say I’ll never see him again?”

“Never again,” Hubert affirmed. “There’s been many people admitting to his misdeeds and corruption, not to mention our lawyers are mounting piles of evidence right now as we speak. It’s doubtful he will be given bail. Especially with the conditions of you and your mother on file.”

Bernadetta nodded. “Good. I never want to see him again.” She just wanted to move on with her life, be herself, and continue living her life. 

“May I say one more thing?” Bernadetta gave him the go-ahead. “Leonie told me about how you fought him off. The way you did everything you could and stood up to him. You’re incredibly brave, Bernadetta, to stand up to him.” Bernadetta didn’t know if she was actually brave or not. She did what she could to stay in her room and buy time for Leonie to arrive with backup. But before Bernadetta could dwell on it further, Hubert continued. “When you first told me your name, I found out it meant ‘brave’. You certainly live up to it. Each and every single day.”

She held him tighter. “I’m a Brave Bernie?” 

He nodded, softly kissing her forehead. “And I love you for it. Perhaps I’ll write it in as the fiftieth entry.” 

They were quiet after that. Bernadetta allowed herself to relax with Hubert after he turned the lights in his room off. Everything remained still as he sleepily watched over her. The safety she felt around him never ceased and she watched him fall asleep in her arms.

“I think I’ll be okay, Hubert,” she whispered. He made no indication of having heard her. He was gone to the world.

Right now, she was recovering and he was right, she was brave. She tried to do everything she could to keep this life and even though she was down right now, it wouldn’t last. She would pick up the pieces and move on and every time she slipped, she would have Hubert alongside her, supporting her. 

That was what love was like and he felt that way, truly, and deeply.

Bernadetta wiggled her way away from Hubert’s arms and walked to the bathroom. She stripped herself of all of her clothes and observed herself in the mirror. Her bruises formed by her father and his men were starting to fade and she still had the scars around her stomach from when her father had tied her to a chair. She was afraid of Hubert seeing those scars for whenever they’d become more intimate with each other, but now she felt a little more self-assured about his reaction to them now that he had known.

Everything else about her appearance was fixable. Her hair was unbrushed, unwashed, and was limp around her face. She was also certain she smelled terrible. After Bernadetta stepped out of the shower, dried her hair, and changed into a fresh pair of clothes, she snuggled up beside Hubert, draping an arm around him once more. As if on instinct, Hubert’s arms found hers and pulled her closer to him. She had begun to feel a little sleepy herself.

It would be alright. 

Everything would be alright. 

* * *

Not much longer after that, Bernadetta felt herself beginning to return again. It started off small, with the need to create. To her, creation was what helped her move along, what kept her sane and what helped her on a day-by-day basis. She loved creating more than anything in the world because if Bernie herself wasn’t any good, then at least her creations were. 

And then she was reminded of the fact that she was now over a week behind Lysithea’s dress. 

Hubert was so sweet that during the entire time she had been in shock, some of the things he had gathered were her essentials in making the dress. She made a home in his bed and began to work on the dress as he was outside making phone calls. She could hear him arguing on the phone with someone, but paid no mind to it as she continued working. She had less than four months left until the wedding. She intended to finish it in two months so that Lysithea could get some dress fittings in.

She was ready to see the girls again the second Thursday after the encounter. Hubert had driven her to the center. It would be their first time separated since she took shelter at his place.

“Have fun,” he said. He had parked the car in front of the center.

“Are you worried, still?” she asked. “I know it’s been really scary but I think I’m ready.” She wanted to go back out there and be with her friends. She missed them and she hoped they missed her, too.

“I’ll always be worried about you, butterwort.” He kissed her forehead. Bernadetta’s eyes met his. She found his eyes were so soft, so tender. She tilted her face up, her lips brushing Hubert’s. He kissed her back, bringing about a fluttery feeling from the tip of her toes that jolted to her brain that was reminding her she was here. She was alive and…

Hubert surprised her by returning the kiss, his lips brushing softly against hers for a second.

She repeated the motion again and again and again, the warmth cascading all throughout her body. If she wasn’t so adamant on seeing her friends again, she would have wanted to continue this. They hadn’t really shared many kisses apart from their goodnight ones. Bernadetta remembered how wonderful it felt to kiss him.

“Hey! Don’t be disgusting!” Lysithea was just a few feet away from the car.

Bernadetta pried herself apart from him and yelled. “Oh no! Ahhhhhh!” She buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment. 

“You should go, Bernadetta,” he said quickly. When she peeked over at him, his face was extremely red. 

“Um...okay!” she said, yelling out the words. 

“Have fun,” he said as she skittered out of the car and slammed the car door. He sped off, leaving the two of them together. It felt strange being without her boyfriend for the first time since what had happened, but she knew she was safe. That everything would be alright again. Despite that, she was still feeling residual embarrassment from her PDA with Hubert. Now she understood why they had their strict policy on the matter. The mortification was too much!

Lysithea was smirking the entire time. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said. 

“I’m so sorry, Lysithea!”

Her smirk changed to a look of pure, genuine confusion. “Huh? Is it because I teased you for kissing the Hardass? Actually, it’s very amusing to see him making those googly eyes at you.” 

Bernadetta’s blush worsened as they walked towards the entrance. “No, um, it won’t happen again!” 

“After all the shit I had to go through with the other girls with Cyril, I can’t have my fun?”

“Um...no!” She changed the subject. “But that’s not it. I’m sorry I couldn’t work on your wedding dress. I’m behind by a week, maybe two, even!”

Lysithea shrugged. “Considering what’s happened over the last few weeks, I’d be surprised if you even went around making my dress. Things happen! I should know!”

“I just don’t want to ruin your wedding!”

“Ugh don’t worry about it! I’m sure there’ll be different problems anyway and my dress would be the least of them. After all, it isn’t too common to see a girl from Fódlan marry an Almyran boy, is it?”

Bernadetta paused for a moment. It was true, yes. The people from Fódlan typically kept to themselves a lot. She hadn’t really met many Almyrans throughout her life. Not that she did, due to being a recluse and she lived too far from the border. “I-I guess.”

“So really, don’t sweat it!”

They walked inside the center and into their class, where Leonie was standing. She was doing warm up exercises when they walked in. “Leonie!” Bernadetta said, running towards her. 

She stopped doing her warm up and allowed Bernadetta to embrace her. Leonie wasn’t very affectionate or a hugger by any means, but Bernadetta loved how firm her hugs were, even though her grip was really tight. “It’s so good to see you again, Bernie.”

Bernadetta held onto her for as long as she could. “You too, Leonie. Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing, Bernie. You’re strong and you’re awesome and you kicked ass.”

Bernadetta felt the tears threatening to fall. “I still freaked out for a week and…”

“That’s normal, dude. I’d have shut down too, if it were me. But you’re back and you’re stronger than ever.” Bernadetta sniffed at Leonie’s words. 

“Bernie!” Marianne’s soft voice echoed from across the room. “We missed you!” In seconds, Bernadetta felt even more arms wrapping around her. Now she was constricted. 

“Lysithea, get inside the cuddle pile!” Hilda said. 

When Bernadetta turned her head, she saw Marianne dragging Lysithea into the cuddle pile. Despite her being barely able to breathe, to Bernadetta, it was an incredible feeling being with friends and those who loved her. 

Marianne, whose quiet kindness went so far. Hilda, who was so open and helpful and patient. Lysithea, who was true to herself and despite her stubbornness and closed off behavior had shown she cared in more ways than one. And Leonie, who was pragmatic and practical and honest.  _ These  _ were her friends.  _ These  _ were the people she could turn to. They were here for her and and—

“Okay, that’s enough sappiness, can we please warm up? Last time I didn’t do it right and I had aches for three days! It was annoying!” Lysithea said.

“Um yeah, it’s been quite a while for me,” Bernadetta said. 

“Don’t worry about it. Okay! Follow along!”

After their workout, the girls all agreed to have Bernadetta pick the place they would eat at. She went with the pizza place she had with Hubert during their first date. Mostly because she knew that pizzas were one of the few things all of them would agree on eating.

It was just as lively as she had remembered. “Hubert and I spent a part of our first date here,” she told the girls. “It’s really good!”

They ate their pizzas together as Lysithea talked about her upcoming wedding and the possible venues they’d have. Hilda spoke about possibly opening up a second store right here in Enbarr considering her revenue was now high enough for a second establishment. Their friend Claude was going to advise her on it. 

Bernadetta felt more like herself now that she was back in her element. 

She listened to her friends talk, feeling appreciative that none of them probed her. She ended up buying Hubert a box of pizza of his own. She recalled he liked the anchovies. 

The girls all saw her off.

“I got this for you!” she said as she entered the car.

“Thank you, Bernadetta,” he said, his face flushed at the gesture. Bernadetta thought he looked so cute like that. 

She remembered her friends were just a few feet away and he had never properly met Hilda or Marianne. “Oh, um, well, you know Leonie and you definitely know Lysithea. That over there is Hilda and that’s Marianne,” she said. 

“Hi!” Hilda said. “You’re Hubert!”

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you!” Marianne said. 

“Good evening. Bernie seems to be well at ease after spending time with you. Thank you for that.”

“Of course! We love Bernie!” Marianne said, smiling.

Lysithea walked closer to the car door. “Hubert,  _ please _ come back soon. It was wonderful not having you around breathing down our throats at first but Edelgard’s never there and the office is pure chaos! Nothing ever gets done.”

“It seems as though someone misses her boss’s presence,” Hilda said, teasing.

Bernadetta smiled. “I don’t think it’ll be much longer. I think he misses you, too.”

Hubert and Bernadetta exchanged a glance. “I appreciate the compliment. Be aware that upon my arrival I will have you work and work and work until everything that’s necessary will be tended to. It may be to the point of exhaustion. Be prepared,” he said in his most ominous voice. Bernadetta couldn’t help but smile at his teasing. If it were a few months ago, she would have been terrified but now that she had known him as a person, known his kisses and embrace, and how sweet he truly was, she knew better. 

“Thank you!” Lysithea said. 

“Night everyone!” Bernadetta said right before Hubert sped off. Their hands found each other when he reached a red light. 

“You look quite animated this evening,” he said. 

“It feels nice. Going back to the way things were before.” Bernadetta’s hand gripped his tighter. “The truth is, I can’t ever undo what happened the other week. And I can’t unsee or undo everything that happened before, either. And it hurts.” Bernadetta thought of the words to say. There was a heavy silence in the air.

“But…” Hubert said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“If there’s anything I learned in these past two years, it’s that I have to keep moving, keep going. It’s...it’s difficult sometimes, well often. And although I may say these things right now, another day I might say something completely different. I  _ want _ to be an optimist, Hubert, but sometimes it can be hard.”

When they reached another stoplight, he carefully raised her hand to his lips. “I know. You’re a strong person, Bernadetta. I find your strength extraordinary and worthy of admiration. And when you feel that way, I will be there if you need me. You only need to seek me out.”

Bernadetta felt a calm sweep over her and they enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the ride together. Hubert left her alone in his room per her request as he ate his pizza in the dining room. She chose to draw a little, making prototypes for the hornet crochet she’d make for Leonie,. After all, she was also turning a milestone age, too. It would have to be given to her at a later date like Bertram was with Hubert, but better late than never.

Hubert knocked on his door later that evening. “May I come in and get ready for bed?” he said. 

“Um, yep!” Bernadetta was already dressed up in her nightwear and it was getting late, anyway. She put away her things and fixed up the bed, making sure she had her favorite pillows set aside for her to use.

When Hubert was ready for bed, he turned off the lights and placed his arm around her waist. She faced away from him so he could spoon her better. “Bernadetta,” he said, his tone decisive. 

“What is it?”

“I’m thinking about going back to work tomorrow. It’ll be Friday and it’ll only be for a few hours. I’ll be back to spend the next few days with you again. Would you be alright with that?”

She nodded. “You should probably go back anyway. Don’t worry about me. I’m actually pretty behind on my projects so I’ll probably be really busy, too. You don’t need to worry about me. Though knowing you, you’ll still be worried.”

“I will still find ways to message you. Although that’s something I always do regardless.” Hubert sighed. “Breaking my own rules, I suppose. Another thing I never thought I’d do once I met you.” He kissed the back of her head.

Her hand moved up to the hand nestled comfortably on her waist, her fingers over his. “When I was at the pizza place with my friends, all I could think about was our first date.”

Hubert chuckled. “I was what you might call, nervous, then.”

“Me, too.” Bernadetta thought of how they were now at that point in their relationship where they were together long enough to have memories and reminisce about their time together. “All of this was so new to me and it was scary. But I wasn’t really scared of you as much then.”

“Oh? And what prompted this?”

“Well, you were um...well, you were nice to the plants and you wanted to learn more about carnivorous plants! And um…” She recalled the way he had kissed her that night. Even though she had run away from him, she thought about how nice it was more often than she cared to admit...until they had kissed again on the piano bench. And every kiss after that felt special.

“What is it?”

“Well, I thought of the way you um, kissed me all those months ago. Even though it was too soon for that, all in all, it was a good kiss.”

Hubert’s hands gripped her a little tighter. “My apologies for that again. It was still unwarranted. And knowing now that you had an utterly vile experience prior to that, I understand how awful that must have felt.”

Bernadetta debated on telling him that it was on her mind for the months after. How it cemented fantasies regarding him and how he ended up being better than all of them. But Hubert’s yawn had broken her from her internal debate. “Thanks. I’m glad I...well, I’m glad I gave you a chance, Hubert.”

“So am I. Every moment of every day.”

“Goodnight, Hubert.” 

“I love you, Bernadetta,” he murmured into her ear, his tone sleepy.

She went silent, feeling her entire body twisting into knots. He loved her. He really loved her. And she...He had encouraged her to take her time, if she would decide to respond to him back. Bernadetta certainly needed time, but all she could think about was that he was an amazing, beautiful person to be with. He was wonderful to her in every respect and although there were always hiccups, he was quick to realize their mistakes and sought to be there for her even after seeing her cry and break down and hearing the grisly details of her past. 

_ I think I love you, too, Hubert. _

* * *

Bernadetta spent the next day working on her commission as Hubert worked. She had hoped his first day back had gone smoothly and when he had come home, he had told her everything over dinner as she eagerly listened. She in turn, had told him about the progress she had made from the wedding dress. Although it was but a small amount of progress, she was still slowly inching her way towards the end goal. 

She saw Edelgard for the first time in what felt like ages on Sunday when Hubert had driven them to her home. They were actually going to pick her up and go someplace together. 

“Bernie! How nice to see you again!” she said, hugging her. “How are you?”

Bernadetta wondered if Edelgard had known about her painful past, or perhaps her full name. “Um, I’m fine.” That didn’t sound fully right to say. “I-I’m a lot b-better! And um, you can call me Bernadetta if you want to. It’s um, my full name. But I’ll respond to Bernie!” She wondered if she would have done the same with the girls. Leonie still called her Bernie. She would have to leave it up to them. 

“That’s good to hear, Bernadetta,” she said while eyeing Hubert. “To be honest, you’re certainly looking better than what I had first heard.”

Bernadetta gave her a nervous smile and Edelgard returned it with a nervous smile of her own. She still wanted to be friends with her despite things still being quite awkward between them. Time would be her best ally to ease this awkward friendship with Edelgard. “I um, yeah. It um...wasn’t easy.”

“Edelgard, would you mind taking the backseat?” Hubert asked as they walked to the car. It broke some of the awkward tension between them

“Oh, am I no longer shotgun?” she said when Bernadetta scurried towards the passenger seat.

“I’m afraid that position will permanently go to Bernadetta unless otherwise stated.” Hubert’s hand found Bernadetta's minutes later, as always as he drove through the road. Bernadetta wondered if this counted as PDA, especially in front of Edelgard, who chattered about work related things. 

“Oh, Bernie!” Edelgard said. “I have a debate in a few weeks with my opponent. It won’t be for a while but I thought it would be important to ask you right now. Would you be interested in attending?”

Bernadetta nodded. She was glad that Edelgard was bringing this up early. It would require quite some mental preparation to attend. Besides, if Edelgard was in such an event, then that meant she would be supporting Hubert in turn. “I don’t mind going.”

“This may not be my first debate, but I could always use more support. And Hubert as well. I know! You can watch us practice our debate. Hubert loves to play devil’s advocate.”

“The key word is ‘devil’,” Hubert said, teasing.

“You haven’t seen him debate on his own. He’s quite good,” Edelgard said. “Except Hubert doesn’t perform well in front of crowds. I keep telling him to picture everyone as bunnies.”

“Or carrots,” Hubert said. “You know none of that works for me.”

He drove to what looked like a hotel. Bernadetta wondered if they were all going to have lunch (or maybe brunch) together at one of those nice hotels. Hubert had brought it up in the past as something to do in their dates, not that they hadn’t done that before, but it was nice having good food being made for them. Besides, they were with Edelgard and that's how things typically went with her. Bernadetta would just have to remember her manners.

When they entered the lobby, Bernadetta saw a familiar face looking right at her as she stood across the room. She smiled. “Mother!” Bernadetta let go of Hubert’s hand and ran to where her mother stood. She threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. “Mother! You’re here!”

“Bernadetta.” She let go of her and took a moment to observe her. “You look well.”

Her mother looked fine, she always did underneath the layers of makeup she had worn and her carefully crafted appearance. Her father would have never done damage to easily visible areas anway, but she could see the small changes in her. From her posture to the way her eyes crinkled. Most of the time, she would wear a false smile, yet the one she wore right now was very, very genuine. 

Bernadetta hugged her again. “You’re here, mother. You’re here and you’re safe.”

“We did it, Bernie. He’s gone.”

Bernadetta remembered her boyfriend and his best friend were standing a few feet away from their spectacle. She could see Hubert smiling. He rarely showed his teeth, which she figured had to do in part with them being coffee stained, but the slightest of toothy grins had escaped him. Bernadetta thought it suited him. “Oh! Um, mother! I should introduce you! I think you may have met him before, but just in case! Mother, this is my boyfriend, Hubert von Vestra.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert ties up some loose ends; Bernadetta visits her mother in the mountains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!!! Due to the gravity of current events I had to essentially re-write the first section of this chapter and toned it down considerably. I also had to make some tweaks in the third/final part. I hope you all enjoy it!

Hubert couldn’t simply let things rest the way they were. 

With Bernadetta off to see her mother in the mountains, Hubert had ample time to himself since (aside from when Lysithea had invited him over for an awkward yet weirdly pleasant dinner at her and her fiance’s place). During that time, Hubert decided to practice his concocting skills. Ever the good chemistry student, he finally had the motivation in making a...solution of sorts after years of going without practice.

He had called that annoying lawyer, who seemed baffled at the idea of Hubert visiting Varley. “Are you certain you would care to visit this man? I would advise you to not give into any emotions,” the lawyer, a Mr. von Aegir, said on the other end of the phone. 

“Clearly, you have not met my girlfriend,” Hubert said. “Besides, I only intend to have a talk with him.” Hubert eyed the water bottle he had made intended for Varley.

“I have heard of her. Mr. Varley and my own father have had their own connections to each other. That alone does not bode well for him when we go to trial.” The trial would start in a few weeks.

“Now, let’s go back to the subject at hand. Now, can you or can you not arrange a meeting with Varley?”

“Er...perhaps I can, but it would take me--”

“I need it done before Friday.”

“But--”

“I don’t care, just do it, Aegir.” Hubert found him utterly exasperating to the point that continuing this conversation would drain him entirely and hung up on the call. He had other things to do, like prep debate topics for Edelgard and reading over this month’s finances. 

Bernadetta wasn’t far from his mind, though, per usual. He had grown used to living with her, even though he had known this was a temporary arrangement so her own living space would be fixed and repaired. Once she began to recover, he loved the feeling of being with her at all times, like a homebody. 

Of someone living with him and sharing their space. 

Of someone sleeping in the same bed and waking up with them. 

Of someone to hold or talk to or kiss whenever needed. Whether he wanted to or she would, at their own convenience.

But right now, she was temporarily back home with her mother and there was no way he could currently do any of that. She left about a week and a half after their reintroduction and even though he grew busier, especially with all of the time he had used to take off work, he still missed her fiercely.

They had dealt with their separation through texts and at her insistence, video phone calls. 

Despite her leaving, Hubert still felt her presence. From the loose threads laying around the apartment to small, fun doodles of plants and animals she had drawn in a notebook by his nightstand, to the scent of her in her favorite pillows and on Bertram. Bernadetta was a little scatterbrained and left other things laying around before she left and although Hubert typically found such things unbearably annoying, he found it endearing for her and her only.

The lawyer had called him the following day, asking him to meet him in the appointed place, which was where Hubert knew Varley was being held in custody.  **I would advise you not to do anything that might get you in trouble.** His text message only reiterated what he had said during their phone call.

Hubert was forced to promise him otherwise.  **Nothing serious will happen to him. I will only have a few choice words with him.** That was the truth.

Varley was sitting at the end of a table, wearing his standard prison garb. He was handcuffed and tied to the table, as though to prevent him from hurting others. Hubert thought it was a fitting form of retribution.

“It’s you,” Varley said. At the very sight of him, Hubert was filled with unfathomable hatred.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Varley. I brought you some water. Why don’t you take a sip?”

The water bottle had been placed on his end and with a straw. Varley had quickly taken the bait and sipped on it. “Now, why is the politician’s lapdog visiting me?” Hubert tried not to give into the sting of his words. He had to bite back. After all, he was still a free man.

“It’s simple,” Hubert said. “I came here to laugh at you.”

Varley only shot daggers at him with those cold gray eyes. Hubert had remembered how he was reminded of Bernadetta when they had met. They did have the exact same eyes, but with absolutely none of the warmth. He wondered for months if he was just seeing things, but this monster really was her father.

Hubert pulled up his phone. “Come now, I have someone I want to introduce you to.” He scrolled through his phone and went to the gallery of pictures he had with Bernadetta. Some of them were selfies she had sent through text messages. “This lovely young woman here is my girlfriend. I’m sure you know her quite well.” All of the images were of her smiling to some capacity. From a recent photo of her in her room at home to them with the plants from the aquatic gardens behind them to some selfies she took of them kissing in front of the windmills. 

Varley had quite a reaction to that one in particular. “Whore.”

Hubert could barely restrain himself so he said what was on his mind. Varley's only weapon were words, but Hubert knew better than to give in. “You spent years telling her she was unmarriageable, useless, and many other things I won’t waste my breath on. I want you to know that without you poisoning her life, she is the most excitable and most talented woman I know. While you rot in prison, I will be there, watching her and her mother live their lives contentedly without you. I am deeply in love with Bernadetta. I certainly intend to make her my wife one day if she agrees to it.” That would help in quelling some of his manipulations in regards to Bernadetta’s low self-worth. At least to when it came towards the topic of being "unmarriageable". He knew everything else would take years and years of help, but he wanted to be with her whenever that was the case.

Varley said nothing.

Hubert noticed Varley’s face was beginning to look pale. “My, you look quite pale, Mr. Varley. Is it something you ate? Or perhaps...drank?” But this was the best he could do. Show him that Bernadetta would go on to live her life happily without her father looming over her. 

Varley began to panic. “H-help!”

Hubert got up, ready to leave. “I say I would rather not see you again, but you will and each time you will see me, I will be the apparition that makes your life a living hell. You’d best remember that.” He would ensure that this man would be locked away for the rest of his life. He would try to make other visits in the future. Give him updates on how much better everyone’s lives were now that he wasn’t around.

Meanwhile, Varley screamed for help.

Von Aegir had gotten a hold of him after he left the cell. He was circling around him, not unlike an insect, like a persistent bee, buzzing about. “He is screaming for help! What did you do, Hubert?”

“He thinks I poisoned his water. The man’s clearly going insane from all the time there.”

“Did you?” von Aegir asked, cocking a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

“Of course not. What kind of man do you think I am?”

In reality, the solution Hubert had brewed was nothing more than a placebo. Nothing more, nothing less. All he wanted was to get a rise out of Varley, to see him panic. He was certain they’d test the water bottle and find out there was nothing wrong with it, aside from it being a little bit more acidic on the pH scale.

Hubert walked out of the prison, the cloudy skies gathering forth. A thunder flashed in the sky. It would rain soon. It was his favorite kind of weather. Perhaps he would take a nap when he’d get home.  _ Yes, that will do. A very nice and peaceful nap.  _

* * *

Bernadetta liked rainy days. It was the best time for her to stay indoors and work. Best of all, it had been raining quite a bit these past few weeks. 

Mother was usually out and about taking care of things relating to their business. Now that her father was awaiting trial, she had been handling the business so far and was out during odd hours. Bernadetta knew that her father had harmed a lot of people for his own gain and now his name was living in infamy as a result. 

Her mother would have to do a lot to preserve the name “Varley” and that would take a long time to do. Bernadetta told her she wanted nothing to do with the mines or of her family’s numerous businesses in the mountains. She only wanted to create and live her own life separate from that.

She was fine with that outcome.

Bernadetta had purposely forgotten how much she loved her room. It held all of her childhood memories, from her notebooks full of stories of princesses who had gone on adventures to the row of carnivorous plants located in her windowsill. Bernadetta had tons and tons of supplies in her room, including a mannequin that she now used to hold Lysithea’s dress (she would take that with her on the return trip). But most of all, she loved her canopy bed. Her nice, firm bed, where she definitely won’t feel any of the bedsprings at any given time. It was the one thing from Enbarr that she wasn’t quite missing. She would ask her mom to help her replace it.

Working here felt much different, much  _ easier _ now that her father was gone. 

She loved her room and had fallen back in love with it, but a part of her wanted to go back home in the city. That was her home now too. With Leonie and Lysithea and Edelgard and Hubert.

_ Oh Hubert... _ She missed him a lot right now, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t busy himself, especially with all of that debate prep.

But for now, she wanted to spend time with her mother and help each other recover, even though the two of them seemed to do it by distracting themselves with work.

Her mother, however, would often remind her that she needed to go out and eat. Dinner was the one thing she insisted on keeping the same. Bernadetta had a tendency to miss breakfast and her mother would miss lunch, often having it elsewhere. Dinner was the one meal they could both share together. 

“Bernadetta, can you wear something nice this evening? We’re having a guest.”

“Okay, mother!” She knew that sometimes her mother had people over for dinner. Bernadetta never said much during those dinners, but she tried to support her mother with her presence alone. Of course that meant to be polite and to eat without it seeming like she would rather be in her room, even though she much preferred to be there.

Bernadetta had gained some weight during her two years away from home, so she had to buy new dresses for these occasions. She decided to rewear a purple short sleeved dress that was easy to put on and easy to look decent enough in. She knew her mother would complain about her rewearing it since it was the third time or so, but if she did complain she would still comply with her. She also brushed her hair and bothered to do makeup.

Their guest was not present yet. The rain was really coming down hard tonight. She could hear the rain pouring down outside, the droplets hitting the roof and surrounding windows. They waited in the entryway. Bernadetta sat on an armless leather chair and folded her hands.

“It seems the rain is delaying my guest.”

“Well, what’s on the menu tonight?” she asked.

“Two-Fish Saute.”

“Oh nice. I haven’t had that in a while,” she said. ”How was your day, mother?”

“The usual. Undoing all of the damage your father caused. It’s been a good week this week, with the rain and everything. Come to think of it, it’s been raining a lot more these past few weeks.”

“That’s great.” It was always good when it rained, especially here in this arid region.

The door opened a few minutes later as the figure had closed their umbrella. The umbrella had closed in their face. “Ouch,” they said flatly. Bernadetta held her breath, feeling her heart race.  _ Hubert? _ Was she hearing things?

Their guest turned around. It was Hubert, wearing a brown trenchcoat. His black hair was absolutely soaked.

“Hubert!” Bernadetta got out of her seat and ran over to where he was standing. He was half drenched in water, the droplets falling out of his trenchcoat but all she wanted to embrace him, to feel he was real. To feel his flesh and bones and heart beat against her. 

Hubert hugged her back, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. “I missed you, butterwort,” he whispered. 

Bernadetta wanted to kiss him, but with her mother clearing her throat, she straightened. She could never kiss her boyfriend in front of her mother. That would have been embarrassing!

“Bernadetta, don’t you think it would be wise for Mr. Vestra to take off his coat?” She pulled back, her rain soaked dress clinging to her skin. Hubert was laughing.

“Whoops.” 

Hubert took off the coat and accompanied them to the dining hall. 

“Your bags will be dried and placed in your room.”

The entire time they ate, Bernadetta could hardly take her eyes off her boyfriend and he struggled with the same problem, especially as he strived to keep a conversation with her mother. Bernadetta was astounded to see that the world looked much brighter now that he was here. “It’s good to see that it's raining.”

“This has been quite the week. Unfortunately, tomorrow, will be a sunny day. Although the humidity will be almost unbearable,” her mother said. 

“As we discussed. I was hoping I would have a tour, then. Perhaps I could visit some of the mines and factories,” Hubert said. 

“That can easily be arranged, Humble Hubert,” she said. “How is Edelgard, by the way? I am aware she is currently prepping for a debate soon?”

“She is,” he said. “The election isn’t too far off now. I believe we will win, but it would be suicide to remain complacent, especially considering this is a von Hresvelg. Once the election is over, I will have more leeway into my schedule, but my work is never done.”

“Then perhaps you can come visit once again after all of this is said and done?”

“I would gladly do so, if you’ll have me.”

When they finished their meals, Bernadetta offered to take Hubert to his room. Her mother wasn’t stupid and knew this was an excuse for them to have alone time together after over two weeks apart. Her mother was also aware thanks to an awkward conversation that occurred a week before where Bernadetta admitted she was still a virgin. She dreaded how much more awkward it would be once she wasn’t. 

Bernadetta held Hubert’s hand as she led him to the guest room. It wasn’t too far away from her room, yet it was rarely used. She hugged him when they entered the room. 

“I missed you so much,” she said, hugging him. 

“I missed you, too, Bernadetta.” He pulled her a little closer before closing the door. He bent down and kissed her. Bernadetta felt warmth spread all throughout her body as she led him to the bed. She was surprised by how hot she felt from his touch, even though it was just him embracing her. 

“I missed you, I missed you, I missed you,” he said in between kisses. He moved on top of her, kissing every inch of her face. “I miss you when I’m at work. I miss you when I’m sleeping. I need you in my life.”

Bernadetta began to pop off the buttons off his shirt. She felt the same way she felt when they were in Derdriu, where she was so determined to escalate their relationship. “Me too,” she said, getting the shirt off him. His hands were coming up low against the hem of her dress.

“Hubert,” she said, pained. She had wanted him to touch her so badly. However, something in him snapped back to reality, and Bernadetta wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

He stopped. “Wait. We shouldn’t be doing this. Not when your mother knows you’re showing me to my room. She could walk in and well...you wouldn’t want her to see you getting ravished, do you?”

“I…” He rolled off her. “You’re right.”

“We can continue this later,” he said, giving her a chaste kiss. 

“That’s fine. Can we cuddle, if only a little bit?” 

“I can’t say no to that, can I?” Hubert put his shirt back on and held her in his arms, pressing kisses to her face. 

“How have you been?” she asked. 

“I should be asking you that question. How are you faring, my dearest?”

It had been over a month since her father attacked her. His fingers brushed hers. “Better in a lot of ways. I mean, I’m trying to move on and be normal.”

“You’ve been doing a wonderful job of that,” he said. He planted a kiss to her forehead.

“It’s nice being here. I like being with my mother and being back in this room where I made so many memories. But…” She tried to find the words. “It’s lonely here, just a little. But being here for just a little while feels nice. My mom’s improved, too, but getting her to talk is hard, too. She likes to move around and get things done. It's her way of coping and getting better, I guess.” Bernadetta figured that as long as it was healthy she wouldn't interfere.

“Speaking of, Edelgard has given her the contact information for a divorce lawyer, if need be.”

Bernadetta nodded. “She’s looking into that, too. They say she might be divorced by the end of the year because of the way he treated us. But because of his legal uh...stuff, well, that makes everything pretty complicated.”

“We’ll get through it all.”

“I know,” she said, “and you’ll be there with us.”

“If you’ll allow me.”

Bernadetta hugged Hubert, her arms gripping him tight. She could hear his heart pounding against his chest. So was hers. “Thanks.” She snuggled against him. She wanted him to be in her life. Badly. 

She went back to her room not much longer after that and got ready for the evening. Bernadetta set her supplies aside and made her bed. She had the expectation that Hubert would swing by her room when he said he would continue their makeout session later. She waited and waited and waited, scrolling through countless artwork and posts on her phone.

Her heart began to beat out of her chest the more time passed and when it knocked, she had nearly pressed the pillow to her chest to prevent it from escaping. Or at least it felt that way to her.

“Hey,” she said as he closed the door behind her. He was wearing his usual nightclothes “I was waiting for you.”

“I was waiting to show at a reasonable hour. I also wanted to ensure I was in the correct room. Although this looks like the kind of room you would have.” His gaze fell on the crochet plants she had on her desk and window. “You have...creations that are similar to Bertram,” he said.

“A lot of them are carnivorous plants,” she said.

“I can see that.” Hubert walked over to her desk, picking them out one by one. “There’s the flytrap, a nepenthes, a sundew, and...oh, this is you,” he said, picking up a plant with a purple flower over it. 

Bernadetta couldn’t help but smile at him. 

“Beautiful. The way you look right now.” He was returning her smile. “I was hoping I could see that smile on your face once more.”

“Come here,” she said, leading him towards her. She pulled him down into a kiss. He followed her into bed, where she pressed endless kisses all around his face. He returned her kisses. He moved lower to her neck as she weaved her fingers through his thick black hair.

“You um, make me happy,” she said. She took a deep breath. “Can we do that again? The thing we did that night in Derdriu?”

“Is that what you want?”

“It’s all I’ve thought about.” 

“Very well.” Hubert’s hand went lower and lower, underneath her shorts. She took a deep breath at the feeling of one of his fingers brushing over her underwear. But what he clearly wasn’t expecting was her echoing and mirroring his actions. 

Hubert gasped when her fingers tentatively touched him over the fabric of his pants. Bernadetta almost pulled away, unsure if she ought to keep going. She had believed she felt him wanting her...several times over the course of the relationship, particularly after they had kissed and she started staying over. But the fact that he wanted her, that he needed her in the same way she needed him, only fueled her desire in turn. 

He had seemed to have forgotten her request when she started touching him.

“Bernadetta,” he hissed in pleasure. She raised her hands slightly and took off his shirt. He helped her but stopped when her fingers were on the waistband of his pants. “B-Bernadetta,” he said again, swallowing. 

“Um…” She couldn’t find the words. 

“I can’t think clearly right now but I believe a conversation is needed right now.”

“I want to see you,” she said, not thinking clearly, either. “All of you.” She hoped that was a suitable enough conversation before climbing on top of him. She realized her mistake, because the angle was much harder for her to shed his clothes.

But it was easier for him to do something similar to her. “May I?” When she nodded, his hands went under her shirt, touching the bare skin around her sides. His hands were warm against her and in a fearless moment, she lifted her arms up for him to take it off. He obliged, his eyes now as wide as she had ever seen them before. 

A slight shame came over her at the thought of Hubert seeing her half naked and topless. She got off him and he quickly recuperated, getting back on top of her. “Beautiful,” he said, his breathing haggard. She did love the sensation of their skin touching. It felt right, which was the exact opposite of everything she had been told growing up. She would need to unlearn all of that. Hubert was good at understanding that there would have to be a process with her.

“Do you really think so? I know I’m...I’ve got all these scars and um,” She pointed to her beasts. “They’re not that big or anything.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Please allow me to show you what I’m thinking right now.” He showed her exactly that, his kisses and displays of affection making her confident again. She allowed him to explore her, and with that her fears of sex, of intimacy were quickly fading away. With him, she  _ felt _ beautiful. And the kisses he oh-so carefully pressed to the areas where she felt most insecure about gave her a sufficient amount of confidence to go through with what she wanted tonight.

Bernadetta’s newfound confidence gave her the push she needed to take his pants off. For a moment, she had shocked herself with the gravity of what she just did, looking away, her hands covering her face. She had completely disrobed her boyfriend for the first time in the bedroom she had her entire life. A part of her felt rebellious for doing so, but another part--

“Are you frightened?” he asked. “I can always--”

“No! I’m...just...Sorry f-for giving you mixed signals! Th-this is new to me!” She still kept her face covered.

“This is new to me, as well,” he said. “In terms of how intimate this all is.” He didn’t say anything while she still kept her face covered. “Perhaps now is the time to have that conversation?” He moved away from her, placing himself besides her. He lifted her comforter so that it would cover the both of them. Bernadetta felt less embarrassed of her actions now they were covered. However, she could feel his body heat now, and she teetered between being nervous and really wanting to be as close as possible to him. And Hubert, as always, he was as affectionate as ever, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.

“Um...Well, do you remember that awful day? I had sent you a message asking you to come over,” she said.

“You said you wanted to talk to me about something. I recall that I, too, wanted to have a discussion with you, as well.”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about...sex,” she said, her final words a squeak.

Hubert blushed. “I must admit I would have been unprepared for that topic, especially considering my topic of conversation has since been spoken about at length. But do continue. What about sex?”

“Well, after our weekend together I was thinking about it, before you-know-what happened. I’m more open to it now. I mean, a lot has changed, and I do mean  _ a lot _ , but I’m even  _ more  _ certain it’s what I want. I know I’m really shy,” she got closer to him, hugging him. “But it’s you I want, Hubert.”

“To be perfectly honest, I would like to continue at our own pace. While I would love to see you naked with me, if it’s something you do not wish to do, then that is fine. And if you do want to bare yourself to me, we do not need to make love right now. That, and I forgot to bring contraceptives yet again.”

Bernadetta giggled. “What? Say that again?”

It was Hubert’s turn to turn shy. “I er, forgot contraceptives…”

“Before that!”

“I want to continue at our slow pace.”

Bernadetta laughed even harder. She loved how she had rarely caught him in a moment of utter cluelessness and confusion. “No! The part where you said ‘make love’. Is that how you see it?”

“Of course. There is no other way I  _ could  _ describe it.”

Bernadetta wanted to tell him she saw it like that, too. But she had a better idea, now as to how she would go about that. But for now, she lowered her shorts under the covers and took them down as well. She surveyed his body in the soft glow of the moonlight. It was just like the bodies she had seen in anatomy classes (not that she had drawn naked figures), except this was  _ Hubert’s  _ body and there was something so insanely personal about this. That this moment belonged only to them. She drank him in, now wanting to remember this moment, this lovely moment where they both bared themselves to the other.

“I know I’m not much to look at,”

“Shh, that’s not true.” She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his entire skin hot against hers. Her shame was starting to fade away, little by little, being replaced by the need to validate him just as he validated her. “Tell me what you don’t think is much to look at and I’ll kiss it away, just like how you kissed mine.” 

“There’s quite a lot of things I don’t like about myself. Are you prepared to undertake that grueling task?”

She kissed his cheeks, always surprised by how its softness betrayed his hardened appearance.“Always, Hubert. Always.”

* * *

Bernadetta’s naked form was even more enthralling to look at in the daylight. He had a better view of the scars and rope burns her bastard of a father had subjected her to but they didn’t take away from her beauty. He had kissed every last one of them last night and he would gladly do so again for nights to come. When he had arrived at her home, he wasn’t expecting this rather enthusiastic reception from her. This relationship was going at her preferred pace, and Hubert was glad to have stopped things where they were. Not that they didn’t have their fun with each other last night. 

_ We had more than just our fun. _

It was important that they grow used to each other’s bodies and explore before reaching that moment. Hubert had already started learning what Bernadetta liked and didn’t, and she was now learning the same about him. They were clumsy at it and there was a lot of fumbling, but he couldn’t ignore the happiness and sense of contentment he had felt the entire time when she so determinedly helped him validate his own perceptions.

Her body was partway laying on top of his, her head and chest, mostly, and everything below was on the mattress. Hubert would need to get up and get ready for the day, but it was near impossible to move without waking her up. He was in quite the conundrum. 

Hubert gently tried to move her head to the pillows, but his efforts proved to be futile. He was met with large gray eyes staring back at him.

“Morning, Hubert.”

He figured there was no harm to pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Good morning,” he said, nuzzling her hair. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

She yawned. “Are you leaving?” There was a sleepy pout on her face. Hubert couldn't look away from her, yet if he didn’t, he would be stuck in this bed with her for the rest of the morning.

“Your mother has invited me out for a tour.”

“Oh.”

“Would you happen to be interested in going with me?”

Bernadetta shook her head. “I’ve got to water the plants today. Um, if you’re done early, you can come over to the greenhouse. I was actually hoping I could show you around there today.”

“My tour oughtn't take too long. Your mother knows you’re the reason I’m here visiting.”

Bernadetta wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for coming here, Hubert.”

“To bed or to your home?”

She giggled. “Both, actually. And um, I hope you um, don’t feel as self-conscious as you did last night, because I find you great to look at even when it's bright in here.”

“I agree. I have to pry my gaze away from you or else I fear I’ll get nothing done at all.” Hubert knew if he stayed here, he’d be completely gone for her. He wondered just how deliberate her charm was. He finally tore his gaze away from her. “I can join you again later today, butterwort.”

It hurt being apart from Bernadetta yet again, but he was actually here to check up on Mrs. Varley as well. 

He had been told through encrypted emails and the like that things were starting to pick up. It was but a slow start, but Mrs. Varley had the ideal business and management acumen. 

“I’m curious,” she asked as they toured the ironworks. “I know you have spies. I’m not sure if they’re on your account or for Miss Hresvelg, but I’ve wanted to know what the reports say.”

“There’s accolades regarding your skills, if that was what you were seeking.” It was unsurprising that Mrs. Varley knew of his spies. It was likely part of her ultimate plan. However, whether Mr. Varley having caught him and if that was part of her grand scheme was still ambiguous. If it was, then it was still a huge and almost reckless risk. He felt obligated to inform her over the other matters. “I have not been keeping records with you and Bernadetta.” It was admittedly tempting to keep tabs on them, his base instincts were begging him to do so, but another part of him that warned over maintaining Bernadetta’s trust had won out. “Everything that I’ve done in regards to my network has been driven by pure politics. If you must know, my presence here leans more towards the personal.”

“I see,” she said. “Well,  as you can see, I've been hard at work undoing all of the damage my husband did. It'll take a long time but now is the time to begin.” She paused. “ May I ask you something of the sort? I am curious as any mother would be.”

Hubert was rarely caught off guard, mostly because he had never been in this situation before and actively interacting with the parent of someone he loved. “Of course you may.”

“Are you in love with my daughter? I have a vague sense that you are, but I must ask.”

The question was extremely forward. “If I may ask, what warrants this inquiry?”

“I’ve heard a rather intriguing story about you,” she said. “That you paid my husband a visit. That you caused him to panic.” Hubert closed his eyes in an effort not to roll them. Of course  _ that _ lawyer told her of it. “That you had a few  _ choice  _ things to say to him. I should note that this story has nothing but confidentiality.”

Hubert looked away, watching the workers being productive. They seemed to have worked with proper motivation. But he felt Mrs. Varley’s stare boring into him. She had known about his taunts. That one day, if all went well, he would ask Bernadetta for her hand. “All of it is true,” he muttered.

“And that he believed you poisoned him?”

“It was just a run-of-the-mill water bottle. Albeit with a more acidic taste to it.”

Her lips quirked. “How amusing. But back to the subject: how wondrous it feels to know your true intentions, Hubert. My daughter is quite taken with you as well. She has quite a deceptively tenacious soul. It’s not my job to approve of her romantic relationships or what she chooses to do with them, I am not her father and she deserves all of her freedom in that regard. It was a freedom I never got.” Hubert had a feeling she was aware that he basically spent the night with Bernadetta, that the room he had been given was basically nothing more than a place to store his luggage.

“My intentions with her are pure. You have no need to be concerned.”

“I see. Either way, so long as you continue to treat my daughter with the adoration she deserves, I’d welcome you to visit anytime you’d like. Now, follow me here. I’d like to show you a few more things before I let you go. Surely, you would like to spend more time with Bernadetta.”

Hubert’s tour had ended in the early afternoon. He wasn’t expecting cloudy skies and by the time he had reached the Varley estate, it was starting to drizzle.

_ This wasn’t in the forecast _ . 

Either way, he had known that Bernadetta was in the greenhouse out back and ran as fast as he could before the rain pounded down on him. 

He was a wet mess when he arrived inside, with water dripping from his clothes to the floor. Bernadetta had been using a watering can and quickly set it aside when she saw him. “You came!”

“I wasn’t expecting it to start raining.” Not that it was a bad thing. The mountains needed more rain, after all.

She laughed. “Looks like we’re stuck here for the time being.” She came up on her tiptoes and pulled him in for a kiss.

The storm showed no sign that it would let up anytime soon. “Indeed. It looks like we might be here for some time.” Thunder clapped. “Quite a while, actually.”

“I should get you a towel.” He thanked her as he dried what he could of himself. “Can I show you my plants? I’ve been really hoping I could show you all of them.”

“Show me everything. I’m all yours.”

And so she did. However, much to Hubert’s disappointment, there weren’t any carnivorous plants inside the greenhouse.

She stopped when they reached an entire section of tulips. “I suppose I can’t steal any of these,” he said, joking.

“You probably can, but do you want to break poor Ol’ Bernie’s heart?” she teased back. Hubert loved her like this. All soft adoration and quick banter. “But actually, I’ve been thinking about tulips all the time recently. And you’re here...And...Um...do you know about, like, flower meanings and all that?”

“I believe I have. Edelgard can be rather particular with her carnations.”

Bernadetta delicately grazed over a tulip, the reddest of them all, and snipped at it. She took out a pin and attached it to the flower. “There. It’s not the usual embroidered flowers but I’ve, um, been thinking about you and this one.”

He got closer to her, allowing her to pin the flower next to the gladiolus flower he had chosen to wear for the day. “What does this flower symbolize?”

Bernadetta’s hands rested on his chest. Their eyes met. “They mean ‘I love you’. Um, uh what I mean to say is that, well, I love you, too, Hubert.”

He couldn’t see or hear for a second. The world had gone white.  _ Bernadetta...is in love with me? _

“I…” 

“Um...Hubert?” She waved her hand at him. He barely took notice while he tried to absorb her words.

Thunder clapped again. He came back to his senses as the water poured all around the greenhouse, the water sliding on the glass windows and ceiling. It was a perfect moment. Yet another he’d never forget. He took her in his arms and embraced her. He would never let her go. Never. “I love you, Bernadetta, more than anything.”

The words tumbled out of her. It was music to his ears. She kissed him between her declarations. It was all he had ever wanted to hear. “I love you, Hubert. I love you, I love you, I…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I thought about splitting this chapter up but decided against it so here's 6.5k of words. 
> 
> Also, mind the markers. This will definitively have 32 chapters. The next chapter is the "final" one, followed by an epilogue. I've written them out already and all I have yet is to edit them. It's been fun finishing up that first draft.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernadetta enjoys the various celebrations in her life and looks forward to the future. A Bernadetta centric chapter.

Bernadetta wasn’t much of a drinker, but there was quite a lot to celebrate tonight. She, Lysithea, and Edelgard had all ordered Strawberry Daiquiris. Lysithea was already screaming in her drunkenness and Edelgard was constantly going into giggling fits. Bernadetta had barely finished her first Daiquiri when a second one had been ordered for her. She was just about to blow off some of the haze she was starting to feel by dancing alongside Edelgard, Hilda, and Lysithea. _Wait, what am I thinking? Bernie dancing for everyone to see? They’re just gonna laugh at me!_

“Go wild tonight,” Leonie said when she handed her a second drink. “We have a way to get home so don’t worry.” Leonie was in deep conversation at the bar with her partner (and possible boyfriend) Ignatz, and some other high school friends of the male variety. Leonie’s entire friend group was here for the first time in years, apparently and she had met all of them. The only outsiders were her and Edelgard.

Hubert had declined the invitation to come but added if Bernadetta needed him for whatever reason, he would be at her disposal. He had said the same to Edelgard.

“A-Are you sure?” Bernadetta said, watching her first drink get taken away. She tore the stem off the cherry and popped it into her mouth.

“Dude, I just paid off not just some of my loans, but _all of them._ And you’re back here in the city and your dad’s going to be on trial soon. I’d say go fucking wild.”

A half drunk Hilda stumbled towards them, interrupting the conversation. “Hey Berrrrnie, Hey Leonie.” She grabbed Bernadetta by the arms as the song changed to something uptempo. “Marianne’s on a pee break so I’m stealing you away!”

“What? I can’t dance!” But Hilda’s strength proved to be deceptive yet again. There was no way Bernadetta could fight against her.

“Says you! Come onnnn! Let’s goooo!” 

Bernadetta was careful as she joined in, mindful of the fact that the floor was kind of wet thanks to Lysithea sloshing her drink. 

“Who knew dancing can be so fun!” Edelgard said. “I’m used to the waltzes and other classic dances my father and brothers taught me.”

“I don’t want to say you’re repressed, Edelgard, but you need to learn to let loose sometimes,” Lysithea said. She was just about done with her drink.

“Repressed?”

“I didn’t say you were!” Lysithea shouted. “But if Hubert could learn how to breathe for once in his damn life, then so can you!” She set her empty drink aside and got close to Edelgard and Bernadetta. Her movements were all slow and languid. She was the drunkest person in their friend group. 

Edelgard and Bernadetta exchanged a look. “This doesn’t bode well for her wedding.”

Bernadetta shook her head. “Um, I’m not sure if I want to keep drinking after seeing that. Leonie says it’s okay to go wild, but…This drink does taste kinda nice, though.”

“Well, we _are_ celebrating. I got my oldest brother’s favorite painting back.” Edelgard began to take several sips of her drink. “I was worried I’d have lost it forever. My brother...He was so nice to us. He always used to sneak treats to us growing up. He was the one who started giving Hubert coffee beans.”

Marianne had come back and somewhere along the line after giving everyone another round of liquor, Leonie started to dance, too. 

Bernadetta liked being here and the more she drank, she felt a little bit more comfortable being surrounded by friends. She was here in this bar slash nightclub, dancing to electronic music with her friends, and her father was rotting away in a jail cell. He would never see her doing this. He wouldn’t know that his daughter was capable of having fun and if he did, there was nothing he could do. 

And best yet, she had a boyfriend who she loved. A boyfriend who deeply loved her and all of her flaws and thought she was beautiful even when she was completely naked. She wondered what he was doing right now. If going to him was a good idea. But this was Leonie’s night and she was her best friend.

“You’ve got that look, again,” Leonie said.

“Huh? Oh, just thinking about Hubert right now.”

“Oooo! Have you two sealed the deal?” Hilda asked. Bernadetta went entirely red and stopped dancing. She hid her face with her drink.

“Ew! Ew! Ew!” Lysithea screamed. She downed the rest of her drink in an effort to forget what she had just heard. “I don’t want to think about my boss boning my friend! Ahhh!”

“I wouldn’t want to think of that, either,” Edelgard said. “It’s too awkward for me, as well. However, if I must tell the truth, I am mildly jealous. I would like to meet someone I could fall in love with. I know I’m _always_ busy and politics leaves no time for that, but...a girl can dream, right?” She began to laugh, her side ponytail swishing.

Bernadetta wanted to joke that Hubert had literally dropped into her room, but refrained. Instead something else had come out of her. “You’ll find someone someday, Edelgard.”

“Of course you will!” Lysithea said, slurring. 

“Should we take her home?” Leonie asked Edelgard. 

“I am _not_ a child!”

“For the fiftieth time, Lys, no one is calling you a child. Except for Claude, and he’s at the bar right now,” Hilda said.

“Hey,” someone said to Leonie. She wasn’t dancing but it was clear she was looking for Leonie.

“You’re Captain Jeralt’s kid,” Leonie said. She stopped dancing and narrowed her stance, her hands on her hips. “Why are you here?” Bernadetta was thrown off at Leonie’s professed rival. She wasn’t expecting her to be a petite girl with long dark blue hair. She was expecting someone way tougher looking, especially since Leonie had a few posters of Captain Jeralt in her room.

“I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. My father wanted to extend his congratulations, but he said it was probably better for me to visit you, since he’s up in Faerghus.”

“Cool,” Leonie said, pretending to look unaffected. 

“Guess I should go now.”

“No, don’t!” someone had blurted out. Leonie, Hilda, and Bernadetta had all exchanged a glance. Lysithea slumped in Hilda’s direction and began to snore. 

“Um, why don’t you join us?” It was Edelgard speaking. She had a rare color to her face. 

“Yeah, whatever. What she said. Since you’re here, you might as well celebrate,” Leonie said. “I’ll get you a drink.”

The new girl smiled, or at least Bernadetta believed it was that, since it was slight. She had been able to read all of Hubert’s microexpressions, so maybe that transferred over to someone else.

“The name’s Byleth,” she said to Edelgard. Edelgard, meanwhile, looked as though...As if Byleth was the only person in the world. Even though this was an incredibly public, crowded setting, Bernadetta felt as though she was in the middle of an intimate moment and didn’t want to interfere. 

A few minutes later, Bernadetta decided she was to be among the first to leave. She was having fun, but it was midnight and she felt extremely drained. Lysithea had passed out in the van Edelgard had offered up to Leonie’s party of friends if they needed it. Marianne was watching over Lysithea, calmly stroking her hair. 

“I hope she doesn’t have too much of a hangover,” she said. 

“Me too. I didn’t um, drink very much, but the drinks were, um, nice.”

“I agree, Bernadetta,” she said. “My spiked tea was good, but I’m kind of scared to know what I’d be like if I drank. I know some people can be...scary, you know?”

Bernadetta agreed. She knew to stay away from her father even more whenever he drank, which was fairly often when she was growing up. But she was good at hiding and once her father’s senses were so diluted he could barely function. And then she thought of her ex-fiance, who was drinking that night. It hadn’t turned her off drinking, but she was just as wary as Marianne.

Lysithea had woken up, causing her and Marianne to flinch due to how sudden it all was.. “Hey Bernie, you know what you are?”

She was almost too scared to answer. “Um...what am I?”

“You’re powerful...The _most_ powerful person I know. You...don’t even know...” Lysithea then passed out again. Bernadetta had wondered what she meant by that. Was it because of her relationship?

She and Marianne had exchanged a glance, making sure Lysithea’s vital signs were working.

Lysithea had been dropped off first. Cyril had come to pick her up. 

Marianne’s hotel wasn’t too far away from where Lysithea had been dropped off.

Bernadetta had messaged Hubert. **Got a little tired from the party. Decided to go home.**

Hubert was obviously still awake. **Did you have fun?**

**A little! I would rather have an indoors date with you tomorrow. (=^ェ^=)**

**I imagined you would.**

Bernadetta gave the chauffeur the directions home. “Thanks so much!”

She loved seeing the shock on Hubert’s face when he opened the door. Bernadetta took pleasure in watching Hubert’s glasses fog at the sight of her. “I was just about to turn whoever that was knocking on my door away,” he said, inviting her in. She made sure to take her shoes off. “I believed it was a delivery person knocking on the wrong door. What an unexpected turn of events.” He grinned at her.

“Nope. It’s just Bernie!” She showed the guard at the lobby her ID and he allowed her upstairs. A few weeks ago, Hubert had her listed as one of the approved guests, alongside Edelgard. “You’re not mad, are you? I thought maybe we could start our date just a little earlier.”

“It’s perfect,” he said, shaking his head. “I was prepared to sleep alone tonight but you’re here now.” He kissed her, his lips as soft as ever. “You taste like alcohol, however.”

“Oops. Better fix that! I’m um, not really drunk or anything.”

“I can see that.”

She walked into his room, and placed a hand to her mouth. There were papers all over his bed. Hubert’s laptop had been running. “Oh, Hubert! Edelgard, Lysithea and I were at a party and you were doing paperwork?!” She felt terrible all of a sudden knowing that her boyfriend was working himself on a Friday evening while his coworker and boss were enjoying themselves.

“It’s important. Edelgard’s first debate is soon, not to mention she has numerous television and radio interviews to attend to. I’m also in talks to get her on a podcast. What’s interesting is that _I myself_ have received an invite as well.” Hubert stopped when he noticed Bernadetta was pouting. She didn’t even realize it herself until she saw his line of vision was on her mouth.

“I just...I just want you to have fun, too, you know? I’m not like, mad at you or anything. Just...” Bernadetta couldn’t find the words. 

“Filled with love for me?” Hubert said, in an effort to clear that tension.

Bernadetta laughed, bringing herself closer to him for a hug. “Yes! That’s exactly it!”

“Well, since it concerns you, I have no plans to look at any of these papers for the rest of the weekend. I ought to put these away. You can start getting ready for bed in the meantime.”

After that, Bernadetta brushed her teeth while Hubert made the bed, put on a comfortable pair of PJ’s she had stored in Hubert’s apartment, and snuggled beside Hubert. He turned to her, his attention solely on her. His fingers grazed her shoulders. “I told the driver to take me home. But I didn’t really, um, feel like going to my home. Is it really cheesy if I say you’re my home?”

His hands moved to a tendril of hair, where he wrapped a finger around it. “You’re my home, as well.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Bernadetta yawned. Hubert turned off the lamp and they snuggled close to each other. Bernadetta wasn’t expecting to do anything tonight and he was in his own nightclothes. It would be a relaxing night after such a large gathering. Bernadetta still wasn’t used to that sort of thing.

“Lysithea got really drunk, by the way. And I think Edelgard may have met someone. I was happy to be there, but I also just wanted to be here with you after a while.”

“I’m glad you chose to be with me.”

“Thanks for letting me in,” she said. “I love you, Hubert.”

“I love you as well, Bernadetta,” he said. Upon hearing those words, she wrapped herself even closer to him and felt herself drifting away to a world of peace and calm.

* * *

It wasn’t often whenever Bernadetta stressed baked. 

She woke up early that day, hyperaware that a lot of what Hubert had been stressing on was hinging upon today. One batch of coffee cake muffins had suddenly turned to five and then that had almost doubled had Leonie walked into the apartment with her partner. It was Sunday, and as far as she knew, the two of them were free on this day. 

“It smells like sweets in here,” Ignatz Victor said. He saw the trays of muffins placed all over the kitchen. 

“That’s quite a lot of muffins. Is there a party or something going on tonight? Or a potluck?”

Bernadetta snapped back to reality. “Edelgard has that debate today. And I, you know, felt like baking.”

Leonie eyed at the numerous muffins cooling off. “There’s gotta be more than a hundred here.”

“A hundred and eight, I think. You and Ignatz can take as many as you’d like.”

Ignatz lit up. “Oh? May I?” He took four, offering two to Leonie.

Leonie took the two Ignatz offered and sat in a chair while Ignatz ate his muffins. “Edelgard invited me to that thing of hers. It was nice of her, but I think I’ll pass. Politics aren’t really my thing. Hope it goes well for her, though!”

“Um, okay! I didn’t really know you were invited, Leonie! I guess I’ll tell Edelgard’s driver that you’re not coming.”

“Your boyfriend isn’t taking you there?”

“He’s too busy. He hasn’t responded to many of my texts since Thursday.” He gave her status updates in an effort to reassure her, but Bernadetta understood why he was being distant. Their last real meetup and date was the weekend before, when Leonie held her celebration. It was also the last time she had seen Edelgard and Lysithea as well. 

She recalled how Hubert probed her in regards to Edelgard’s new crush. “And what’s this person like?” he asked her the morning after the party when they had woken up. He had taken great amusement in Lysithea’s total inability to handle liquor.

“Well, she’s Leonie’s rival, I guess? She’s my height, I think, and has long hair and blue eyes. She’s pretty.”

“I’ll need to find all of the information I can on this woman to properly vet her.”

“Vet her? She's not even applying for a job with you! And um, she might not even be her girlfriend, Hubert! And...And you didn’t vet me!”

“I didn’t need to. Edelgard is a public figure. Her actions have consequences. She reflects on her community. She can’t just choose to be romantically involved someone who might be a crim—”

Feeling bold, Bernadetta had shushed him with a kiss. “Edelgard can make her own decisions, Hubert. Just like I can.” With her words, he was speechless, only nodding as she placed a finger over his mouth. Not much was said for the hour after that.

Leonie snapped her back to reality. “Aren’t you supposed to like, you know, get ready for that? What time is it?”

Bernadetta gasped, checking the time written on the microwave and oven. “You’re right! Ah! I gotta put these all together and get ready!” She scrambled, working quickly to put the muffins in disposable trays, which were in turn, placed inside several large bags. 

She had already decided what she wanted to wear a few days ago, settling on a purple dress she bought a few weeks ago. It was serious enough, with a rounded collar and an A-line waist. She wore black pantyhose underneath the dress, hoping it made her look extra serious. Most notably, it had lace sewn into a pattern resembling daisies at the bottom and on the sleeves. It was matched perfectly with the earrings Hubert had given her before Edelgard’s party. 

Edelgard’s driver was waiting for her when she was finished and he drove her to an auditorium, no, it was the famed opera house. She tensed, the building was ancient, yet well maintained. 

She sent Hubert a message. **I’m here**.

He didn’t take long to show. Much to her delight, he was wearing his glasses, his eyes falling on the large bags she had brought with her. He appeared stressed out of his mind, his hair out of place. However, he was wearing a suit and it looked amazing on him. The peony he wore only accentuated his outfit. _Is this my handiwork?_

“What are those?” he asked. 

“Coffee cake muffins! I made some for everyone!”

“They’re good,” Edelgard’s driver said from inside the car. He was still eating the muffin she had offered him during the ride to the opera house.

“I’m glad you like them!” She turned back to Hubert. “Do you want one?” She offered a bag in his direction. 

“What I want,” Hubert paused. “Allow me to take off this earpiece. It should be muted,” he said, fumbling with the small black earpiece for a few seconds. “What I want is you.” He pulled her closer to him and took her in for an embrace.

“I want you, too, Hubert.” She wanted him more than anything, and she wanted him to be happy. She hoped tonight would go well.

Their gazes met. “I apologize for spending such little time with you in recent weeks.”

“You’re doing what you love,” she said, carefully tucking a lock of black hair behind his ears. “And everything’s going to be great tonight! You’ve worked so hard for this.”

Hubert took both of the bags from her hands. “And I do confess that I would care to indulge in this one little snack.”

Bernadetta laughed before closing the gap between them for a quick kiss. She was certain a few bystanders saw them, but Hubert appeared so tense he didn’t seem to either notice or care about their PDA.

“Come with me. You should be the one to offer these to the rest of Edelgard’s staff.”

Bernadetta was surprised. “Oh! Um, are you sure you want me backstage?”

“Well, it would be rather awkward if I were to enter with these and without any explanation as to how exactly I got ahold of them.”

“Oh,” she said. “That’s fair.”

“That, and they can use your morale boost.” 

Bernadetta followed Hubert into the backstage entrance and presented Edelgard and her staff with the muffins she had baked. She wasn’t used to so many eyes on her, but instead, she focused on her boyfriend’s soft gaze. “So um, I made everyone muffins. I think there’s enough for everyone to take at least two. Um, you’ve all worked so hard for this and um, I believe in you! So um, please!” Bernadetta had nearly forgotten to mention. “Oh! And they don’t contain any allergens so no um, nuts or anything!”

Lysithea, predictably, was the first in line. “Can you give two to Cyril? I dragged him here even though he doesn’t really care for this kind of stuff.”

Bernadetta nodded, taking a few of her muffins with her. She spotted the girl Edelgard was interested in taking a seat of her own. 

Speaking of Edelgard, she had emerged, wearing the red blazer Bernadetta had made for her and a red pencil skirt. “It’s good to see you here, Bernadetta,” she said. Her hair had been pinned in a tight bun.

“I made muffins for everyone tonight. Feel free to take some. But if you don’t want any, I can just save some for you.”

“That’s quite alright,” she said, taking a single muffin. “Thank you, Bernadetta.”

“Um, okay. You’ll do great, Edelgard! Good luck out there! Um, I should probably go.” She turned to Hubert, who was watching her in a way she was now starting to recognize. If there was a word Bernadetta could describe him in regards to the way where his gaze never left hers, it would be something close to adoration. The thought made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She gave him one last hug.

“I love you,” he whispered when he was within earshot. 

“Love you, too.”

Bernadetta left and found a seat next to Cyril, who was sitting in an empty corner. “Hey Cyril! I made some muffins for everyone. Do you want some?” 

He had taken both muffins while they made small talk. He was looking forward to seeing Lysithea in her wedding dress, which made Bernadetta feel only more determined to keep on going and finish her dress.

It wasn’t much longer until the debate had started. Edelgard stood on one end of the thrust stage, her opponent, an older woman who Bernadetta had read had a long history in politics, was on the other. 

Edelgard’s posture and stance was completely different than the girl she had hung out with. Edelgard stood much taller than she seemed, and carried herself with confidence. She recalled what Hubert said before she had met her, that Edelgard the politician was very different from the person Bernadetta had gotten to know.

It wasn’t until the third question in—something about education—when Bernadetta saw a shadowy silhouette of someone backstage and away from the spotlight. The form heavily resembled none other than Hubert. She wondered if he could see her from his vantage point. 

“Many of your constituents would like to know how you can possibly help the environment become overall, better than what Representative Hresvelg has had to offer. She claims to be “environment friendly” and a staunch advocate of keeping pollution and harmful big businesses at a minimum. How would you solve the recurring issue?”

The debate had already been interesting to watch, but things became instantly a lot more tense with this seemingly innocuous question. Edelgard’s opponent was quick to critique Edelgard’s lack of attention to the environment. “Miss Hresvelg is adorably out of touch with the environment. It’s easy to notice the lack of trees and the fact that carbon emissions are climbing throughout this city. I will lobby and—”

“Is that so?” Edelgard said, interrupting. “Consider your next words carefully.”

Her opponent seemed to disregard her. “It’s quite easy to see that what’s needed is reformation. Not just with the environment, but for everything. Do you really want someone who is still in their twenties? Who has yet to see the true ways of politics and—”

“I don’t know about you, but I would rather accept someone who has their heart and mind in the right place instead of cavorting and making deals with the wrong sort of person. According to my data, it seems as though you’re quite friendly, or at least until rather recently, you were friendly with a certain Mr. Varley.”

Bernadetta froze in her seat. 

It had happened so fast. 

With one quick motion, Edelgard had drawn up entire documents from the inside of her blazer. “It just so happens that I have proof that you were very much involved with Mr.Varley, who right now is under indictment of corruption and endangering the life of others. And so I ask you, the people of Enbarr here tonight, would you cast your vote to someone strongly associated with a person known for tampering with emission controls? Someone who blatantly left their subordinates to die? Someone who falsified reports and possesses a general disregard for human life?” _Someone who would hurt their family?_ Bernadetta's thoughts interjected while Edegard continued, “Is this the candidate that you would want to represent you?”

The crowd was stunned into silence. Then everyone cheered for Edelgard. Bernadetta had remained speechless. She never expected her father’s name to be brought up and to see so many people cheering _against_ him, knowing that he was a terrible person. 

Well, it was validating.

She saw Hubert’s shadow and she knew for certain that he had found her face in the crowd. 

It was validated when she had received a text from him. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest again, especially with his use of emojis. **I love you <3 **

This was the first time he had ever used one for her. 

Edelgard’s opponent hadn’t recovered after that, and her father being rightfully characterized as a villain was all Bernadetta could think about.

“That was not what I expected it to go,” Cyril said as the audience began to leave. 

Edelgard’s opponent had left the stage while Edelgard shook hands with people and stayed behind to make conversation. She strongly doubted she would be able to get in any kind of conversation with her, not to mention the fact that her father was part of a fact-check. It would have been too awkward for his only daughter to approach her so soon. The lights were fully back on and she could see Hubert standing backstage. **When can I see you again?**

Hubert had been quick to reply. **Edelgard has given her staff clearance to leave.** She checked the time. It was well past ten at night on a Sunday evening. **Come backstage near the entrance. I’ll be waiting for you there. Bring Lysithea’s fiancé with you.**

Hubert was indeed waiting for her. Bernadetta immediately noticed he was a lot less tense now, and not wearing his glasses anymore. It reminded her of that day when she first visited his apartment and after they had kissed again. 

Cyril had walked backstage and said goodbye to them as he searched for Lysithea.

She hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a little while exchanging no words. 

Until Lysithea interrupted them. “Geez, get a room!”

Bernadetta would have pried herself apart hadn’t Hubert’s grip been so tight. “Perhaps we will,” he said, clearly teasing her. He kissed the top of her head, half sincere and half for effect. 

“I-ignore him! B-bye Lysithea Bye Cyril!!” she said, feeling her face going red. She buried her face into his chest. 

“Lysithea is quite fun to tease,” he said, watching them leave. “Now then, shall we take our leave?”

Bernadetta was quiet the entire walk to his car. They held hands and had only separated until Hubert was back on the road again. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing, yet he eluded a calm aura. It was such a rarity to see him so calm. “Um, Hubert?”

“What is it, butterwort?”

“Um, maybe we could um, well, we could do what Lysithea said and um ‘get a room’,” she tittered and continued, “maybe I can stay the night at your place? Maybe? I-if you’re okay with that.”

“I would like that,” he said. He squeezed her hand. “Is something bothering you right now, Bernie?”

She shook her head. “Well, it was a little strange hearing his name, but um, it felt nice seeing people not like him. Th-that’s it!” She could see that he wasn’t having it. But this wasn’t something she wanted to talk about in his car.

Hubert breathed in. “I see. It must have felt rather ironic, don’t you think? Edelgard wearing a part of an outfit made by that very same man’s daughter. How utterly delightful.”

Edelgard hadn’t known it either, although Hubert had of course figured everything out weeks before she even told him. And he wasn’t once angry at her for it.

When they had entered Hubert’s apartment, Hubert had bent down and kissed Bernadetta. Her hands found his chest and she kissed him back, matching his intensity. _Yes, yes, this is what I want._ His hands lowered until he scooped her up and lifted her off her feet.

She broke the kiss, flailing a little. Hubert was unfazed. “Wait, Hubert! You didn’t give me a chance to take off my shoes!”

“Oh? Is that what you’re so concerned about?” He dropped her on the edge of the bed. He went down on his knees and slowly lifted her leg up. Their eyes met as his dexterous fingers unbuckled her shoes and allowed them to fall on the ground with a soft thud. Hubert’s mouth was slightly agape as his fingers weaved through the lace of her pantyhose, moving from the edges to where her toes were. He never let go of his gaze on hers. “Beautiful, you’re so beautiful, Bernie.” He slowly took off the pantyhose, carefully folding it and setting it aside. 

Bernadetta’s breath hitched as her legs and feet were bare. She wiggled her toes.

She loved the way he looked at her, as though she, Bernadetta was mesmerizing to him. Like she meant the world to him. 

She wasn’t sure if she had pulled him by his tie or he had risen himself but a mere second later, he had found his way to her, giving her the kisses she had craved. Their bodies had intertwined so well, so perfectly against each other. Bernadetta had gotten lost in him, not noticing his hand was precisely where her zipper was, giving it a pull.

Bernadetta gasped as her dress went free, leaving her only in her underwear. Hubert made sure to fold it and left it on top of her folded pantyhose at the very edge of the bed. It was time for her to speak up. “Um, Hubert?”

He crawled back to her, kissing her neck. She loved how comfortable his weight was on top of her.

She fumbled with his tie for a few seconds while she scrambled to find the words she was seeking. His clothes were surprisingly elaborate. 

“Can we do...I...have….um…”

Hubert stopped kissing her, his eyes back on hers. Bernadetta once again noticed the golden flecks that shimmered in his eyes. “D-do what?” he asked with a slight tremor to his voice.

Bernadetta swallowed. “Um, do you want to um…” Her throat felt parched. Hubert kissed her temples. 

“If you won’t say it, then I w-won’t know what you’re trying to say.’ His face was flushed red as well. Bernadetta felt comfortable knowing he was just as nervous as she was.

Bernadetta felt an inexplicable urge to whisper it in his ear, as though it were a secret for them and not this room. 

“Is that it? Are you certain? If not, then we can always go another time. Perhaps an arguably more romantic sett—”

She nodded, shook her head, and interrupted him. A jolt of...something—was it confidence?—had brought Bernadetta to speak. “I’m ready. I’m nervous, but I love you, Hubert. I know it’s what I want.” 

“Very well, then.” He paused. “It’s what I’ve wanted, as well. Since the moment I first laid eyes on you,I thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.” She began to carefully peel off his suit. She would have thrown it elsewhere were Hubert not insistent on keeping it folded. 

Despite that, her eyes widened at that admission. “F-first time? You mean when Bernie fainted…”

“Even then,” he admitted, laughing. He was half naked now. Bernadetta’s fingers fumbled while unbuttoning his pants as a vague realization hit her. “Heh. To think, it’s been just about a year since I first walked into your shop so I could get these very clothes fitted.”

“Oh! I thought I had recognized this outfit!” she said, finding him for a quick kiss. _Honestly, that's kind of poetic._

He laughed. “Heh. Ironic, isn’t it? I never once thought I would fall so deeply for its owner.” He had helped her off her bra, but not without fumbling with the hook and eye closure. “That she would be in my bed.” He rose a little, making it easier for his pants to come off. “That she would be so happy with me,” They removed what little was left.

Bernadetta’s breathing was ragged, but the words fully formed in her brain. Now she had to try and get them out “I think you’re beautiful, too, Hubert.”

He rolled on top of her, kissing her everywhere. “You said it again.”

The words had simply come out of her mouth. “What? That I think you’re beautiful?”

His kisses became more determined, more rooted in affection. “I love when you call me that. I love the moments when I get to be with you. I love _you_ , Bernadetta von Varley.”

She was ready now. She was absolutely ready for him, in every sense. Bernadetta got lost in him once again as they kissed and kissed and kissed. She became more relaxed even though tension was building and she felt heat pooling all over her body. 

Hubert was able to tell. “Good,” he murmured as though to himself while he slowly lowered his hands down her body, his fingertips grazing through every inch of her skin, his fingers teasing her. “May I?”

She nodded. This was something they had done before starting with their big outdoors date all that time ago. They had done this several times since, and she loved each time he did this to her. Bernadetta felt herself easing as Hubert kissed her relentlessly. The tension had risen and then released. Hubert pressed kisses to her dampening forehead. 

“Better?” he asked. 

She nodded, not able to think coherently as her body was still coming down. She did most certainly feel relaxed now.

Hubert had left the bed for a few moments and Bernadetta disliked the sudden cold she felt without the warmth of his body near hers. She appreciated his full, naked form while he walked out of the bedroom and had quickly come back. In his hands was a small box. Bernadetta had gone red at the sight of them.

“I er, procured contraceptives for us. In case this moment were to...arrive,” he said, his face visibly sheepish. Bernadetta loved his awkwardness and laughed.

She pulled him back into bed, relishing in the warmth of his body. 

“How do I open this box without puncturing anything?” he asked.

“Let me,” she said, using her nails to carefully open the box. She took out a single tinfoil wrapper and offered it to him. “Um, I think you can probably um...do the rest!” She moved back to the center of the bed and placed her head on the comfiest of his pillows. She wanted to ensure she would have everything she needed for maximum comfort.

Seconds later, Hubert moved and nestled himself on top of her. Bernadetta tried to remember her breathing while tucking Hubert’s bangs behind his ears. 

“Breathe in, my dear,” he said, his voice soft and soothing. 

“O-okay, Hubert.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and followed his instructions.

He found her and pushed himself in after a few attempts. Hubert sighed in contentment and settled himself inside Bernadetta. To her, it was a slight discomfort, but nothing awful. In fact, it kind of felt good to be joined with him. Really good, actually. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. Bernadetta smiled at the shy, sweet gesture. “I love you, Hubert.”

“I love you as well, Bernadetta. Allow me to show you how much.” Hubert pressed endless kisses all around her face as he began to explore her further. She reciprocated, her fingertips slowly grazing from his sternum to his clavicle to his shoulder. “Does it hurt?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I’m...I’m fine.”

Hubert smiled. “Good.” Both continued their exploration of each other, the pace and motions between them increasing. It was now when Bernadetta began to understand what her friends were talking about in regards to sex. Especially since she was sharing these moments with someone she had fallen for completely, who saw her in a way she couldn’t see herself. 

Hubert held her close once it had ended. His chest rose and fell, his breathing ragged.

Bernadetta was out of breath as well, still not processing that she had sex for the first time. And that it was better than she ever thought it could be. She didn’t feel regret, remorse, shame, or anything awful. Instead, she felt happy, satisfied, calm, and loved. She never thought she would feel this way, especially in regards to how she was raised to view sex. 

He held her closely, as though he were afraid she would disappear. She kept her head on his chest.

“I wish to stay here like this,” Hubert began, “but we ought to clean up first.” 

Bernadetta laughed, moving up. “Mood breaker!” she said, kissing his cheek. “But you’re probably right.”

He played with her hair after as they settled in bed. There was a rather pregnant pause in the air. Bernadetta knew Hubert wasn’t one for pauses and felt grateful when he spoke. “Did you...did you enjoy it?”

Bernadetta didn’t quite understand why he was asking this. She thought she was almost _too_ vocal and loud in her enjoyment. She nodded. “It was perfect. Thank you, Hubert. For being so patient with me.”

“You’re worth it, Bernadetta. You always were.”

Bernadetta kissed him, took Bertram, who would suffice as her plushie for the night and got ready for bed. Hubert turned off the lights. “I was a little nervous,” she said.

“I have an inkling why, but I’d like to know?” He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. She laughed at how it tickled her.

He put his arm around hers. “Well, I thought maybe I’d be um, kind of bad.”

“You weren’t,” he reassured. “In fact, I’d go as far to say you were the best I’ve ever had. I found this all immensely satisfying. And to think, this was but our first time. Imagine once we get the hang of it.” 

Bernadetta felt her insecurities dwindle away as she became sleepy. Her nerves and all of their activity had tired her out. “Goodnight, Hubert.”

He kissed her one more time before she drifted in a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Bernadetta had woken to the sound of blinds being shut. There was light outside. Hubert wasn’t in bed, but rather on his phone. With her eyes barely open, she watched him as he paced around, still without his clothes on. “Edelgard? I’m afraid I can’t attend work today. Will there be an issue if I don’t attend to my duties? You mean only a few of us have shown? Very well, then. I will see you another time. Oh, and you have my sincerest congratulations on another successful debate.”

Seconds later, Hubert was back in bed, arms around hers. She locked one leg around his waist. Her body was responding to the small ways they were winding around each other.

“I suppose you heard that, Bernadetta?”

“M-maybe. Um, you’re missing work?” She knew he loved going to work, but a selfish part of herself didn’t want to let go of him. Especially after last night.

He nodded. “Edelgard seemed rather pleased by my absence.” Bernadetta had a feeling why. “She also gives you her regards. Not that she knows you’re here.”

Bernadetta kissed him. “Well, since you’re ditching work, what do you want to do today?”

He kissed her again and again. Bernadetta felt a force within herself as she began to jolt herself awake. Whether from happiness, love, excitement or a bit of each, but the feeling wasn’t something she ever had before. She loved every minute of it. “I’ve never skipped work for pleasure before. It feels rather foreign.” Bernadetta began to grind her leg over him. Hubert pulled her on top. She noticed with boldness that he wanted her again. And she wanted him as well. “But I can think of a few things. I’d like to listen to what you have to say, Bernadetta.”

“Ooh! Maybe we can have an outdoors date. Just a small brunch date. And maybe we can visit the butterworts?” He reached for the tinfoil wrapper again. 

“A solid plan,” he said. “Today is for you and I.” Bernadetta began to kiss him, their kisses growing deeper and deeper. Hubert paused, admiring her form. “My, my. You look quite splendid wearing nothing but those earrings I bought you.”

She blushed. “Well, um, I love them. I love all your gifts.” She made a note to wear them a lot more often now.

Bernadetta smiled the entire time they made love for the second time. He had given her control of the pace as she settled herself on top of him. It was just as amazing as the first time. 

It was during their afterglow when she realized in their quiet affection how she would share many days with Hubert in the future and maybe...maybe she would marry him someday. Her fingers ran up and down his arm until they found his hand once more, thinking about their future together and what their days would look like. She eagerly looked forward to each and every one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wraps up most of the loose ends of this story, and had I decided I wouldn't split this mega-long chapter up. 
> 
> One more chapter (actually an epilogue, which is already written) to go! If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! <3


	32. Chapter 32/Epilogue: Slowly, Bernadetta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later, Hubert ponders and thinks of the future.

_ One Year Later _

Hubert never anticipated how much more things would change in another year. 

Summer had been winding down, but he was lonely throughout a part of it. Mostly because Bernadetta had been invited to a fashion week event in Dagda. 

It turned out that when Edelgard pulled her opponent’s damning documents out of her blazer, it created several effects. The first and best one, was that it had pretty much made her the winner by default. Edelgard had recently disclosed to Hubert alone that she wouldn’t seek another term. Rather, she would seek to become the mayor of Enbarr. Varley’s imprisonment and sentencing had only helped further her career, especially since she had teamed up with lawyers who were committed to snuffing out corruption. They had bigger targets left, but there was little she could do in her current position. Hubert was more than content to assist in any way possible, even if he had to put up with a charismatic, yet annoying lawyer yet again.

The other effect was the buzz around her blazer. Who had designed it. How the designer managed to make it look so discreet. The way Edelgard had revealed the documents had become something of a meme and was much discussed over the week that followed. Multiple designers had gotten into contact with Bernadetta not long after. At first, her focus was on Lysithea’s wedding dress but after the event came and went and Lysithea was married, Bernadetta started taking offers and visiting other cities. 

She confided to him that despite her love of travel, she would need to stay at home for weeks after, and Hubert was more than happy to be a safe harbor for her as she showed him sketches of the places she had seen and the flowers that were endemic to those regions.

Even though Hubert was the first to encourage her to visit abroad, he would miss her fiercely whenever she was away. 

But when they reunited, Hubert felt as though everything had fallen into place. 

He was currently at the airport, waiting for Bernadetta. 

Somewhere along the lines, she had met up with Leonie and her own partner in their travels and Bernadetta happily recounted each time during their video calls. And even though he was busy working, he would try to watch livestreams of these events so he could catch glimpses of her handiwork...and of Bernadetta herself.

The flight number where Bernadetta had supposedly been on was now starting to disperse through the gates. Hubert carefully observed the inhabitants. Most were Dagdans and then he saw a blur of violet hair. 

It was none other than Bernadetta. Hubert’s heart fluttered when their gazes met from afar. They had been together for over a year and a half and the way she made him feel had only exponentially increased as time marched on. 

Bernadetta was a fast runner and seconds later, she was in his arms again. “Hubert!” She smelled a little bit like an eight hour flight, but it had quickly eroded, her familiar scent now calming as he kissed the top of her head. 

“I missed you,” he said. “Let me get a good look at you.”

“It was only a few weeks!” she said, teasing. 

Bernadetta had begun to grow out her hair, although it was up in a ponytail. In the year since her father was apprehended, Bernadetta had changed even more. Her skin was glowing and she carried less of a frown. Hubert had caught that his skin, despite still being ashen, also had taken on a glow of sorts. 

“I miss you when you’re in another room,” he said. He loosened his grip on her and instead offered to take the bags she had dropped on the floor. “Let’s get you home. Surely, you must be tired.”

“A little bit! I um, slept for most of the trip. It was a little uncomfy.”

During the ride to his apartment, Bernadetta told him every detail of her trip. She had filled up a significant portion of her notebook with sketches of the sights she had seen in Dagda. 

“Oh! There’s these really cool caterpillars I saw there. There’s one really fuzzy little guy who kinda looks a little bit like a kitten.” Hubert’s hand squeezed hers while she told him about it. “But even though it’s super cute, it’s actually quite poisonous.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Even though it’s really tempting to pet it, it actually releases venom from their spines.”

“And then what happens?”

“Well, you might get some pretty bad headaches! Or nausea and vomiting. Or a stomach ache. Or you might go into shock. It’s scary, but when I show you the picture I sketched you’re going to say it’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.”

“That’s false.” After a beat, Hubert continued. “The cutest thing I’ve ever seen is you.”

Her hand squeezed his. “Well, the second cutest thing then.”

“Also you.”

“Then what number?” 

Hubert thought of the list he had made. He was secretive about sharing that book and only shared it whenever Bernadetta was in distress mode, which only happened during rare occasions. Typically after a nightmare. His list had grown. “It would be the one hundred and forty fourth cutest thing.”

“Are the other one hundred and forty three things all me?” she asked. 

“Of course it is, Bernadetta. It’s always you.”

Bernadetta’s bags were placed in the entryway. She went on her tiptoes, signaling she wanted a kiss from him, but Hubert tore himself away from her. “I’ve got something to show you,” he said. “Will you come sit with me?” 

“Um, okay?” It was clearly not what she was expecting. He supposed she was expecting to be whisked away to bed, and as much as Hubert would have loved to show her exactly how much he missed her, he had something else in mind. “What is it?”

He sat on the piano bench. He gave a gentle pat to the empty space next to him. “I’ve been here quite a bit during nights when you’re away.”

Bernadetta took her place beside him. “It does explain why you’ve become much more confident again.” She hugged him. 

Playing the piano often did stabilize him. “Don’t laugh, but I tried my hand at composition.”

She didn’t laugh. “You mean, you wrote a song?”

Hubert nodded. “I did.” Now he was starting to become nervous. His confidence was starting to waver a bit. He swallowed. 

“What’s it called?”

“Er...it’s called  _ Slowly, Bernadetta _ .”

Tears began to well up in her eyes. He took out a handkerchief, dabbing it just under her eyes. “I...really? Um, thanks! Um…”

“If you’d like, I’d like to play what I have so far. The song isn’t complete, but I intend for it to be finished soon.” Bernadetta nodded, sniffling a little. He began the piece. When he was growing up, the slowest tempo Hubert could take was adante, and that even made him impatient. This song’s piece was written in an adagio tempo. Slowly, but oftentimes played with great expression, as his tutors would describe. Hubert attempted to match that with the expression he wanted to showcase to Bernadetta. How much he had changed since he stumbled into her room. How beautiful and perfect she was to him. How deeply he loved her. And how much he wanted to--

The note he had reached at the midway point of the song had interrupted him. It was ugly, sour, and very broken. Bernadetta had jumped at the unexpected note. It had also caused her tears to stop running. Hubert stopped playing the song.

“Was it a mistake? Um, do you want to start over or...”

Hubert played the key again. It made an ugly sound again. “It appears as though the key was correct, but perhaps it’s an interruption in the strings. Allow me to check.”

“Um, okay.”

Hubert had planned for this, but Bernadetta was unaware that the sour note was very much on purpose. He saw the small box sitting exactly where he had placed it. He practiced the piece enough for this exact outcome to happen. He had intended to make no mistakes during such a monumental occasion. “What’s this?” he said, feigning ignorance.

“Did you find out what was causing the problem?”

“I did. It appears it’s this box,” he said, handing it over to her. 

She opened it and nearly dropped it in surprise. “Hu-Hubert...That’s a...that’s a…” She was now rendered speechless. He carefully took the box away from her. She had been rendered near immobile, too.

“Why yes, it’s a ring.”

Hubert had figured out he wanted to marry her months and months ago. He couldn’t remember when he came to that conclusion, but his thoughts on the subject matter went from dismissive to all he ever thought about. He had consulted Edelgard on the matter, and then Lysithea. 

“You know I already helped you with that or don’t you remember? If your memory is starting to regress, can you recommend me to take your place?”

“Not a chance. But I appreciate your ruthless ambition, Lysithea.”

“Anyway, you should call Hilda. There's no way you can just propose to Bernie without a ring!" Lysithea's eyes widened. "I know! Let’s do it now! We can’t risk you messing this up.” After that had been done, he had the ring sent over while Bernadetta was away. Hubert had begun idly composing his song months before he procured the ring. At first, they were small, idle rifts of a melody he couldn’t get out of his head. 

“Have you figured out how you’re going to do it?” Lysithea asked last week. “It  _ has _ to be romantic.”

“I agree with that,” Edelgard said. “I haven’t even figured out if the time were to come if I should propose or if I should wait for Byleth.” Edelgard had indeed ended up in a relationship with the girl she met at Leonie’s celebration. Byleth’s background wasn’t one Hubert approved of, but Edelgard was happy with her and that was all that mattered.

“Please don’t tell me you’re doing it in public.”

Hubert wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Of course not.”

“If you need to, you can always do it at the gardens, near her favorite flowers,” Edelgard said.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Proposing to his butterwort in front of the butterworts seemed fitting. After all, it was the catalyst that led to her agreeing to see him. But when he had come home, he began playing a few notes of  _ Slowly, Bernadetta _ when the idea began to manifest. 

Hubert remembered all of a sudden it was customary to go down on one knee. He would have preferred not to, but he was only going to do this once in his life. He had to make it count.

“We kissed for the first time here on this bench. And then I told you I loved you on this very spot. Now, Bernadetta, I want to ask this of you: I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”

Bernadetta was speechless, still. “You think Bernie’s marriageable?” The tears fell fast.

He nodded. “I’ve thought so for a while, in fact. Bernie is in fact, marriageable. I was thinking perhaps I could take on your name.” Hubert von Varley had a nice ring to it.

Bernadetta laughed, which made Hubert’s stomach turn into knots. “See, I was thinking I’d be Bernadetta von Vestra.”

She still hadn’t answered his question. He was beginning to feel his nerves pinch. “Is that a yes? If not, then we can pretend this entire--”

Bernadetta flailed. “Yes! Yes! Definitely yes! I want to marry you, too, Hubert! More than anything!”

Hubert rose back up and sat on the bench, where he kissed his future wife for the first since since agreeing to the engagement.  _ What was the term? Fiancee? I like that. But I like “wife” even more.  _ “I love you,” he said. “More than anything.” He carefully took the ring out of the box and slid it down her finger. It was simple, a gold band with an amethyst in the center. It matched her hair.

“I love you too, Hubert,” she said. She spoke again after a beat. “How about Varley-Vestra, then? Or Vestra-Varley? Is that for the two of us or um...” she suggested, her eyes on the ring. She appeared distracted by it. “W-wow, it’s pretty.”

“Either one works. And Lysithea was going to have a conniption fit if I didn’t get you the right ring or did the proposal wrong. I’m glad you like--.”

Bernadetta hugged him mid sentence, and he embraced her back.  _ I’m going to marry this woman. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her. _ Hubert wondered if they could have a winter wedding. Perhaps one in Edelgard’s home. Or they could rent out the botanical gardens. Or they could elope. Right here, right now. Hubert would have to bring up the details with her soon. But Bernadetta beat him to the punch before he could say anything else. 

“Can you play the rest of the song? I’d like to hear what’s left.”

Hubert smiled, kissing her hair. “Of course, butterwort.” He played the rest of the piece for her. One day he would finish this piece. And when he did, he was looking forward to seeing her smile.

The lyrics began to materialize in his head as he played the rest of the song for her. He would have to write them down, and soon. Maybe she could help him. “ _ Slowly, Bernadetta, I fell for you…” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's complete! Just as I did with Sarracenia, I got (and am) weepy when uploading/writing this. It's inevitable when you finish a piece, I realize. When I started playing with this project in mid-to-late November of 2019, I never thought it'd be over 125k words of content. It wasn't until maybe when I wrote chapter 6 or 7, I was like oh no this one is going to be way longer, won't it? And then stuff happened and I had several delays in writing/uploading. Life happened, except it wasn't just me but everyone, but I somehow finished this piece. As for these two, it's up to you to imagine their wedding and life together is like. I do like to think they buy a cute cottage/house and grow a bunch of plants she brought from other places she visited. They eventually have a kid, maybe two of them, and live happily together.
> 
> As I said in the other piece, if you made it this far, please consider leaving a kudos or a bookmark. This is also your last chance to leave a comment so I'd really love and appreciate reading your thoughts! Also I try to keep up with as many comments as possible and read and re-read each one and love the art I've gotten from this piece (which I have linked in each corresponding chapter). I've cried from them as well. 
> 
> I'll be working on smaller pieces for the foreseeable future but it's def not the last Hubernie I'll write! I'll see you!


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